


Young Blood

by Lansfics7



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, BAMF Peter Parker, Comedy, For no reason, How Do I Tag, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Will Go Down With This Ship, If you only read one work by me, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Lots of Laughs, Must Read, No Time Frame, Ofc it's gonna screw up, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Saves The Day, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter saves tony, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Sarcasm, Sassy Peter, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Teenager Tony Stark, Time Travel, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is a mess, Worry, big issues, but Peter is the one who saves him, laughs, parenting, what did I do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 81,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lansfics7/pseuds/Lansfics7
Summary: Tony and Peter decide to attempt time travel. Because why not? So these two geniuses are getting pretty close to cracking the code when Tony decides to do a little tinkering while Peter's at school. Peter gets back to the compound afterward and well...Tony's not exactly...Tony anymore. Remember what happened to Scott in Endgame? Yeah, Tony’s a 15 year old now. He’s not too thrilled. And frankly neither is Peter.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 249
Kudos: 214





	1. Understatement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers! IM BACK BABY! And wayyyyy earlier than expected hahaha long time no see?????  
> Nevertheless I am here. Strap in for some pure comedy ladies and gentlemen cuz it's coming atcha rapid fire. This fic has been in the very very very VERY back of my head for a very very very long time. Idk how well it's gonna do because this is def not my normal style of writing, I like angst for those of you who are new, hello, welcome, but I am posting it and writing it because holy crap I love it with all of my heart and I hope you do too. I'm hyper today, yes. Anyway, shorter and much funnier chapters, just constant energy in this fic, everything goes wrong and we'll laugh about it together.  
> So welcome back, let's not waste any time, it's good to see yall again, hope you guys are staying safe and healthy, let's go. As Tony would say, drop your socks and grab your crocks, we're about to get wet on this ride.

Peter jogged up the steps to the lab, slinging his backpack to the floor before munching on the granola bar he fished out of his pocket. He threw the wrapper in the trash and muttered through a mouth full, "He better not have done any work without me, I swear to God."

Scoping the lab, Peter made his way down the steps, checking the levels on a couple of the 3D screens they had floating around the room. "FRIDAY?" Peter called absentmindedly, "How are the levels looking?"

_"Funny you asked that Peter-"_

"Where's Tony? I figure he would be in here," Peter said, turning around with a furrowed brow, once again scanning the empty lab. He looked at DUM-E and raised an eyebrow. "You seen him?"

DUM-E shook his head and Peter sighed, spinning in a circle before slapping his hands against his sides, "Well come on FRIDAY, let the cat out of the bag, what did he do? Did he blow up or something?"

_"I think- Mr. Stark better explain it himself."_

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Peter scoffed, seeing the back door to the closet open just slightly. He stepped forward, calling, "Tony?"

The door slammed shut and Peter jogged over, stopping beside it, his lips curling into a smile, "Tony, come on, it can't be that bad. What you lose a finger? Tony? Is that even you?" 

Peter blinked, hearing silence and he shifted his weight, his breath catching in his lungs, "Ok, very funny, now you're starting to worry me. What happened?" He rapped his knuckles against the door, leaning on the wall. Peter sighed and jiggled the handle, "Are you ok?"

"Oh, don't get all sappy on me now Parker," a voice came back muffled from the door. 

Peter rolled his eyes. It was Tony all right. He yanked the handle again, "Let me in. What the heck did you do? Your voice sounds funny."

"N-no it doesn't."

Peter stepped back warily, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, yes, yes it does. Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?"

He heard the door unlock and Peter stepped back, craning his neck to see the figure that slowly became visible as the shadows drew back. Peter's face slackened as a teenager, younger than him even, with dark hair and brown eyes, stepped out. 

Peter scrambled back and shot a web- two webs actually, as he slammed into the table and scurried behind it. 

"Holy-" the kid swore gruffly as he slammed the door shut, both webs splattering against the metal. 

"Who are you?" Peter demanded. "Where's Tony? What did you do to him- I swear to God, if you hurt him-"

"Hurt him- _you_ almost hurt him!" the kid yelled back. 

Peter kept his arm raised, "What the _heck_ are you talking about?"

The door opened and Peter fired but the kid rolled, holding out his hand. The Iron Man gauntlet flew across the room and formed over the kid's hand as he leveled it at Peter but didn't fire. The circle in the center of the palm remained dark. 

Peter shot a web and the kid ducked, skittering around the table as Peter chased him, "Get out! Who do you think you are- breaking into Stark Industries- TONY! Where is that son of-"

"Watch your mouth kid!" the boy yelled behind him, skidding to a stop behind the long table. 

Peter's jaw dropped and his face screwed up as he sprinted, slamming into the counter from taking a turn too hard. He sputtered, "You're younger than me!"

The kid stopped running to spit and shout, "I am _forty seven_ you disrespectful-" He lunged away as Peter webbed a chair and yanked it so it would tumble into him. 

"FORTY SEVEN?" Peter hooted as they both starting moving slowly around the table, circling each other. He juked to one side, sneering mockingly, "Yeah, and I'm twenty two."

"No you're not," the kid made a face and laughed. "You're sixteen, genius. You _just_ got your driver's license because you were too afraid to take the test for a year."

Peter's eyes widened, "HEY! Wait- how do you know that? Are you a stalker? Oh my God you're a stalker! Are you from OSCORP? Have you been stalking us?"

"Why would I stalk myself?" the kid yelled back before he took a breath and nodded at Peter, "OSCORP though, good guess kid. You're gonna make a great head of Stark Industries." 

"What?" Peter shouted, leveling his arm. "I'm done with this, who do you think you are?"

"You web me and you're grounded," the kid seethed, pointing at him fiercely. 

"Grounded?" Peter gasped in disbelief. 

"PARKER!" the kid yelled in desperation and Peter straightened on the spot, blinking and staring with a blank expression. Both of them were breathing hard, tense as they stared each other down. Peter's arm was still raised and the kid still had the Iron Man gauntlet on his hand. Peter's gaze flicked to it before his chest heated up. 

He motioned to the gauntlet. "Put that down. It doesn't belong to you," Peter demanded firmly. 

"Put it down?" the kid scoffed, lowering his arm anyway to sigh in exasperation, "Peter it's _me!_ "

Peter blinked, slowly dropping his arm to his side as well. "What?"

The kid gave a forced grin and shrugged almost proudly with a smirk that belonged to only one person. "Come on, Parker. You've got all A's."

"One B," Peter instinctively corrected. 

The kid straightened and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "What? When did that happen?"

"Just today, it was only a five point summative, I'll bring it up- hey- no-" Peter shook his head, spluttering to clear his thoughts. "Who are you?"

"God, do I have to spell it out for you Peter?" the kid sighed, sinking down into the chair. He kicked his feet up on the table and raised an eyebrow.

Peter lowered his arm from the other end of the table. Breathlessly, he whispered, "Tony?"

The kid looked up and smirked, "Ding Ding Ding."

 **9 Hours Earlier** ****

"Remind me why you're trying to build a time machine again?" Pepper asked slowly, one hand on her hip, the other clutching a clipboard.

Tony and Peter looked up in sync from behind the massive blinking...thing...in the middle of the lab. They both grinned, stopping what they were doing and pushing up their goggles. 

"Because why not?" Tony shrugged, the front of his shirt charred black as he yanked off his glasses and bit the end, walking over to grab a tablet on the work bench. 

"Why not?" Pepper repeated dryly, following him. "You're trying to invent time travel and you say why not? Are you insane?"

Peter poked his head out, "You married the guy Pep. You should have figured that part out by now-"

"Ah, hey," Tony puts up a hand and Peter grins, disappearing behind the table. Tony pulls over one of the many 3D screens floating around the lab. "He's not wrong though. You married a mad scientist."

Pepper nodded sarcastically, "What was I thinking?"

"I don't know," Peter grinned, ducking as Tony threw a ball of paper at him. He picked it up and smoothed it out, looking up in annoyance, "This is our numbers sheet Tony, way to go."

Tony looked over and shrugged, "You can still read it."

Peter shook his head and looked over at Pepper since she understood his annoyance and Pepper returned a smile. Then he launched a punch to Tony's leg as he walked by and waved the page, "One wrong number and we could literally create a rip in space and time, but by all means, crumple it up into a ball why don't you?"

"Ok, Mr. Perfect, let's use the prototype sequence filer I made- oh wait, you broke it," Tony spun on his heel and wiggled his eyebrows. 

"I slipped!" Peter protested. Tony mocked him before grabbing a stack of papers and spreading them out on the ground. He grabbed a marker and circled some stuff before sticking the end in his mouth so he could grab something off the table. 

Peter grabbed it from his teeth and set it down, "Don't do that."

"Shut up. Hey, aren't you supposed to be re configuring the wiring?" Tony scoffed and waved Peter away. 

"Yeah, but I can't go two seconds without you doing stupid," Peter countered, snatching the screwdriver from him. 

"How do you guys get any work done?" Pepper marveled with a light laugh, loving the banter between the two of them. 

Tony spun a wrench on his finger and lightly tussled Peter's hair, "It's out of love."

Peter whacked his hand but couldn't hide a slight smile as he grumbled, "Speak for yourself."

Pepper smiled before she asked, "And does the Board of Directors know anything about this?"

Silence.

Tony and Peter glanced at each other guilty and spun around. They instantly returned to work, completely ignoring her until Pepper sighed and asked again with a raised eyebrow, "Tony?"

Tony looked over his shoulder and made a face, "Well....no. I didn't tell them, so I guess that means no, they have no idea."

"And you..." Pepper walked forward with a smirk, "don't see that as a problem?"

Tony tapped the wrench against his palm before he looked at Peter who shrugged. He turned back to Pepper and shook his head with a frown, "Nah. I mean, it's just side project. A hobby."

"Time travel," Pepper stated, blinking in disbelief. "A _hobby_."

"Yeah," Peter nodded.

Pepper shrugged mockingly, a smile creeping on her face. "Got it. And what are you gonna do if it works?"

Peter dropped his wrench and looked up at Tony, "I actually haven't thought about that."

Tony scratched his head, "You know what? Neither have I. I think it's more like... _if_ we can build it. And then once we do, just...that's it."

"Gotcha..." Pepper nodded slowly, a smile creeping onto her face as she stepped back from the chaos. Only those two would attempt the greatest feat known to mankind with no intention to use it for something. She drummed her fingers on her clipboard and backed up, "Ok, well I'll leave you guys to it."

Peter checked his watch and jumped to his feet, muttering, "Ugh, crap. I gotta get to school. Happy's here to drive me, right?"

Tony stood, stretching his back and grabbing his keys off the table, "I can, don't bother grumpy. And you're spending the night again, right?"

"Cool," Peter took the pencil out from behind his ear and set it down, webbing his backpack on the edge of the room and standing up. "And yeah, May won't be back till tomorrow."

"Great, another day with you," Tony groaned, giving Peter a teasing grin.

Peter shot him a look as he slung his backpack onto his shoulder. "Bye Pepper," he said kindly, giving her a tight hug. "Hey, don't let him do any work without me, okay?"

She laughed and hugged him back, ruffling his hair. "Be good," she joked. Tony passed and she kissed him quickly, pointing at him, "You too mister."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be home in thirty minutes give or take," he guesstimated, as he tossed the keys to Peter.

Peter caught them with one hand before he froze, blinking at Tony, "I'm driving? Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah, don't kill us," Tony shrugged as he opened the door.

Peter snorted, knocking his shoulder as he ducked under his arm and walked out of the room, "That's reassuring. I'm glad you have faith in me."

"I do have faith in you, I'm letting you drive my Audi," Tony said firmly, following him out.

Peter looked over his shoulder and made a face, "You want a thank you card?" 

"That would be nice, yeah."

Pepper heard them arguing as they walked down the hall and she looked behind her at the massive mess of a lab. Papers littered the floor as well as tools. She shook her head with a light laugh before walking out the door. 

After dropping Peter off at school, Tony came back home. Pepper had been called for a conference the minute he got back so their lunch date was postponed. Rhodey and Steve were off at a meeting with the Board of Directors, Clint and Natasha were with his family, and the rest of the Avengers were at a diplomatic conference; they wouldn't be back for a day or two. 

After fooling around with some suits, taking a few calls, meeting an old friend for lunch, and scheduling a few meetings, Tony looked at the clock. He still had about 2 hours before Peter got back.

He jogged down the steps to get a cheeseburger and munched on that, wondering what to do. "I'm gonna call Rhodey," he decided.

_"He's in a Board of Directors meeting sir."_

Tony nodded, pouring himself a glass of water. "Yeah, I know, it would be fun to mess with him. Steve's there too right?"

_"Yes."_

"Even better," Tony grinned. FRIDAY turned on the speaker and ringing filled the room. 

_"Tony, bad time, we're in a meeting."_

"Hi, I'm fine, how are you? Jeez," Tony shook his head. 

_"Thanks for asking, I'm in a meeting. Can I call you back?"_

"Wow, so eager to get rid of me," Tony grinned, walking around the island. 

Another voice echoed in the room, _"Rhodey, hang up the phone for gosh sakes-"_

"Is that star spangled idiot over there?" Tony grinned. "Put Steve on."

He heard shuffling and Rhodey hissed, _"You talk to him."_

_"Who's him?"_

"Steve!" Tony said happily. 

_"I should have known. You just couldn't help yourself huh?"_

"Yeah, I wanted to say hi. Hey, you know what," Tony turned. "FRIDAY, pull up the security camera from the Board of Directors meeting?" The hologram flickered to life and Tony leaned in, swiping the side and zooming in on his two friends. 

_"Is that even legal?"_ Steve hissed. 

"Probably not. Sue me," Tony sniffed, sipping his drink before he spit out water. "Oh God, you know what is illegal is that tie. Come on, Rogers. You don't live in the thirteenth century anymore."

Steve straightened, flattening it down and glancing towards the security camera with a glare, _"Shut up."_

Tony shrugged, "It does nothing for your eyes. Also is Rhodes color blind? He knows his suit doesn't match with his undershirt, right?"

Steve smirked at that and Tony hooted before sobering his voice, "Come on Steve you have to stay serious. That man on your left his looking at you weird." Steve's head snapped to the side and Tony snickered, "Made you look."

 _"You call for any specific reason? Or just to try and annoy Rhodes and I?"_ Steve asked. 

"That is my specific reason, yes. You know, usually when people are bored they call their friends, so I decided to give that a try," Tony grinned. Steve looked up at the security camera and made a face and this time he was caught. 

_"Is something wrong Mr. Rogers?"_ Ross demanded, the old man crossing his arms. _"Are you still with us?"_

 _"Yes sir, sorry,"_ Steve snapped his head back and sat straighter. 

"Thunderbolt. Hate that dude," Tony shook his head. "He probably colors his hair. No one can have it that grey. And I'm 99% sure his mustache is fake. I dare you to go over and give it a tug."

 _"No,"_ Steve snapped, fighting a smile.

Tony made a face and tisked, "Well, I dared you, so you can't back out. Also did you hear what happened to his daughters? He looked at them and they turned to stone."

Rhodey had been drinking water and he choked at that, obviously still linked through coms. Tony broke into a grin and laughed, "Rhodes, I didn't know you had a drinking problem."

 _"Shut up,"_ Rhodes hissed, trying to cover a smile with his hand as he wiped up the mess he made with his sleeve. 

_"Rhodes, is there an issue?"_ Ross snapped. 

Rhodey shook his head, _"No issue sir. Just a little accident. I apologize for the disturbance."_

"He's not the principal," Tony snorted. 

_"Where's the kid? Go bother him,"_ Steve suggested. 

Tony crossed his arms, "Peter's in school. Learning."

Rhodey shot a glare towards the camera, _"So you'll call us in a meeting with some of the most important people in the country, but won't interrupt Peter's chem class?"_

"Yeah," Tony shrugged, scratching his head. "Why?"

 _"Unbelievable,"_ Steve said, a little too loudly. 

_"What was that?"_ Ross asked. 

"He said unbelievable. Gosh Ross, get your ears checked," Tony shouted. 

Steve, fighting a smile, tried to resolve the situation with Tony in his ear, shouting random numbers to distract him. _"I'm hanging up on you,"_ his friend warned. 

"You do that and I will take your shield sledding," Tony shouted. 

_"Bye Tony."_

The call cut out and Tony put the glass in the dishwasher. _"You know there is no snow outside right sir?"_ FRIDAY asked with a smirk in her tone. 

"I know that FRIDAY, thank you, very helpful," Tony responded, walking down the hallway to the lab and sinking in the nearest chair, spinning in it subconsciously and wondering what to do. 

Tony tossed up a pen, catching it before spinning it between his fingers, puffing out his cheeks in boredom. "FRIDAY, ideas, rapid fire. What do I do?" he asked. 

_"You could get some paperwork done sir-"_

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Tony made a face, opening his mouth to continue his thought but his A.I. beat him to it. 

_"Oh, so anything that's not actual work?"_

Tony sat up, "Wow. Harsh." He put a fist to his heart, "I've got to look into uninstalling your sarcastic side."

_"This is natural sir, I hate to break it to you."_

"Well I did give you a personality," Tony admits, leaning back in his chair. "I could do more work on the time machine. That would be fun."

_"Might I remind you Peter did say to wait for him."_

Tony grinned and cocked his head, "Ehhhhh, I don't remember him saying that."

"Ok, try it now," Tony said, swiping some buttons on the screen. "Amp it up a couple notches, will ya?"

The power increases and Tony taps his chin, "Ok, hey if this thing goes haywire, activate barn door protocol so we don't blow up anything outside of the lab. Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition so it's not like nothing could go wrong."

 _"Everything could go wrong,"_ FRIDAY corrects _. "I have no numbers to run, and no data to estimate how likely you are to survive this."_

Tony looks up sarcastically, "Gotta say, sometimes I love that giddy optimism." He wanders around the machine, making sure all the wires are in place before poking his head around the corner and messing with the 3D display he has set up on the nearest table. He tucks his screwdriver in his pocket and points, dragging the hologram around and expanding it.

"Look at a mod inspiration, let me see what checks out. This time, in the shape of a mobius strip, inverted, please," he says, hitting a few buttons. "Give me that eigenvalue. That, particle factoring, and a spectral decomp. That will take a second. I also need to make new suits, these are itchy," he complains, scratching the material on the suit he and Peter had made.

He waves his hand absentmindedly, not looking at the screen, "And don't worry if it doesn't pan out. I'm just kinda -"

 _"Model complete,"_ FRIDAY says and a green light blinks on the bottom of the screen. 

Tony stares before he chokes out, "Well...would you look at that."

 _"Please tell me you're not about to try this without any supervision?"_ FRIDAY says slowly. 

Tony shakes his head, "Of course not. I'll wait for Peter. That would be irresponsible of me FRIDAY," he sniffs, waving his screwdriver. "Just...make sure breakers are set, and emergency generators are on standby. Cause if we blow the grid, I don't wanna get sucked into the 1950's."

Tony sinks down in his chair and spreads his arms, "I'm awesome."

 _"You've mentioned,"_ FRIDAY responds dryly. 

Tony spins in his chair, "Hey, cut me some slack just this once. I just discovered time travel."

_"We don't know that yet."_

"Are you daring me to try it?" Tony grins widely. 

_"Absolutely not."_

Tony sinks back into his chair, closing his eyes when a sudden slight whirring fills his ears. He opens one and looks around the lab, not seeing the source right away. Tony opens his other eye and sits up, slowly getting to his feet. "FRIDAY, what is that?"

No answer. 

Tony walks forward and sees the 3D screen glitching. He taps it once and suddenly the backup generator kicks in from the corner with no warning. The warning lights start beeping within the lab. 

"That's not creepy at all," he says slowly, walking over to the machine which is blinking and shaking just slightly. Tony gets on his hands and knees and looks at the center of the machine. It's the source of the whir, he realizes, before thinking it's probably not the smartest thing in the world to stick his head near something that could explode. He stands up and circles it instead. 

_"Tony!"_

Tony jumps and looks up in relief, "Jeez FRIDAY. About time! Talk to me, what have we got?"

_"It's drawing power from the building. That's why I was cut off."_

Tony curses and hits the side of it with a hammer which does nothing, "Well shut it down!"

_"I can't! The power is in a loop, if I shut it down it will cut off electricity to the entire building and surge. An build up at that scale would-"_

"You're right, you're right, ok, ok, I need to think," Tony presses a hand to his head. "How did it just turn on by itself?" he sputters. 

_"It's quantum energy Tony, we have no idea how it works!"_

"Good point- I-" Tony suddenly turns as the machine starts shaking. He slowly turns around and winces as the ring brightens, lighting up the entire room. "Uh oh." he says. He clicks the helmet in just in case. 

Suddenly there's silence, and Tony opens his eyes he had been squeezing shut, "Maybe it didn't work-"

Suddenly a massive white light blasts through the entire room, a strong wind hitting him straight arm. Tony yelps as he feels himself sucked forward by an invisible hold and he flails his arms, light rays zooming by as millions of colors crash into him. His back tingles as he's thrown through emptiness, and Tony lets out a yell, flipping and spinning out of control. 

His head starts to pound, his heart beating out of his chest and Tony's lungs close from the G-force. He's gasping, closing his eyes since the world is spinning. His stomach flips and he grasps at nothing as he falls, pressure building in his ears. 

There's a massive light again and Tony feels himself being pulled, like a massive tidal wave and he's sucked forward. He flails his arms and legs, hyperventilating, feeling like he's on one of those rides at an amusement park that shouldn't be legal. He hated those ones. 

Suddenly everything stops and Tony gasps for breath before his stomach drops. He barely has time to scream a curse before he's falling again. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

Then he suddenly opens his eyes, still yelling, and realizes he's back in his lab. He bends his knees and tenses, looking around in desperation, blinking to clear the white spots that were crowding his vision. "Holy crap, holy crap, we're not doing that again," he gasps out, his breath fogging the inside of the helmet.

Breathing hard he blinks once and pats his arms and torso, making sure everything is still there. "What the-"

Tony spins and turns to look at the machine behind him which is humming a slow whir as it shuts down and goes dark. Tony takes a deep breath and yanks off the helmet, not noticing how big it is, "Ok...well I'm not dead. That's a good sign."

His voice sounded higher. Much higher. He cleared his throat and tried to concentrate. "FRIDAY, how long was I gone?" The A.I. didn't answer. Tony looked up, "FRIDAY?"

 _"T-Tony?"_ FRIDAY responds slowly. 

Tony scoffs, setting down his helmet and scoffing, "Yeah, who else would I be?" He yanks off the suit which is about three sizes too big now, kicking it to the side before he rubs a hand over his face, "Holy crap I-" Then his hand stalls and he rubs his cheek again. He moves it to his chin, feeling for his beard, which is gone. Tony freezes, "Uh, FRIDAY?"

_"I- I don't know."_

"I didn't even ask a question!" Tony says, starting to breath faster, searching for some sort of mirror. "Am I- am I me?" he asks worriedly, tripping over his own feet as he shuffles around the lab.

FRIDAY pauses and then says, _"Well...yes...in a way."_

Tony races over to the 3D screen and pulls up the camera function, waiting for it to load. "What kind of answer is-"

He blinks, staring. He is him. Just...not...the same...age. He's 14, maybe 15. Tony touches his face. He slaps himself. "Oh no. I'm dreaming. I've got to be dreaming. What the actual-"

 _"You're not dreaming,"_ FRIDAY says weakly. 

"FRIDAY, look at me! I'm a teenager! I haven't even hit puberty yet, are you kidding me? Oh my GOD!" Tony slaps himself again, running a hand through his dark hair. "Holy s-"

 _"Peter's not gonna be happy,"_ FRIDAY says. 

"That's...that's an understatement," Tony says, staring at his younger self in the mirror. His voice cracks, "I am so screwed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.......crap. XD Thank you so much for reading, I hope you all are hooked! Let me know what you thought!! Have a wonderful day and stay tuned for the next chapter :) Stay safe and stay healthy everyone!  
> I love you all 3000


	2. Let's Figure This Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers! I am cranking these chapters out because 1. they are so much shorter than my usual and 2. I freaking love writing this story. It is pure chaos and I am in love with it, what can I say. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do. Basically rough recap: Tony and Peter try and come to terms with what the heck just happened and figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. I am pulling out the big guns in terms of their banter in this story so I hope you all enjoy that haha ok i need coffee.  
> Also thank you guys for your comments and support, it's super awesome and i love all of you. The response was outstandingggg- I'm so glad you like the story! Ight I'll shut up, read on! :)

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Peter yelled furiously. 

Tony looked up at him in annoyance and snapped, "Don't yell at me kid." 

"Don't yell at you-" Peter repeated in exasperation, glaring pointedly at Tony. "Look at you, Tony! You're a teenager! How old _are_ you?"

"Does it look like I know?" Tony shouted, spreading his hands before running them over his hair. 

"I told you to wait for me," Peter hissed, rounding the table and Tony pushed backwards, rolling himself to the side as Peter stormed after him angrily. He pointed at him, "I told you not to do anything before I got back! Did those words just go in one ear and out the other?"

Tony grins sarcastically, leaning backward in his chair, "Yes, yes they did."

Peter frowns, crossing his arms, "Don't act all smug. You're a preteen, Tony. Oh, God, Pepper's gonna be pissed."

Tony puts his head in his hands and groans, "I am so screwed."

Peter snorts, "You really are."

"Thank you, Peter, for your undying optimism," Tony shot with a glare, looking down at his feet with a loud sigh. A second later he feels the kid's eyes on him and he snaps his head up, seeing Peter looking at him with a smile creeping onto his face. Tony narrows his eyes, "Stop staring. This isn't funny."

"It's a little funny," Peter countered, snickering as he tried to hide a smile. 

"No! It's not!" Tony yelled before he cuts himself off; his voice cracked audibly. His face blanched and he looked at Peter who was trying so hard not to laugh, his eyes wide, his face turning red as he held it back. Tony swore, "Shut up Parker. I swear to God-"

"What even does it feel like?" Peter wonders. 

"Feel like?" Tony scoffs, tugging at the oversized shirt he's wearing. "It doesn't feel like anything. I'm me. Normal me, but I'm not, I'm also..." He gestured to himself.

"A fourteen year old," Peter finished for him. 

Tony shot him a look and sighed, "Yeah."

"Wait, so this means," Peter composed himself before taking a deep breath, "that it worked, right?"

Tony blinked before he exploded, "No, Parker! It didn't work. Does it look like it worked?"

"Well something happened!" Peter spluttered, "I mean, look at you! Mister 17 Again, explain what happened if it didn't work!"

Tony looked at him with narrowed eyes, his face laced with fury as he spoke calmly. "I get bored. I look at the time machine. I work on said time machine."

"Your first mistake," Peter crossed his arms.

Tony's head shot up, "Do you want to hear what happened? Huh? Work with me here, I don't need you guilt tripping me every five seconds. Thank you. I was going to wait for you once the model was rendered because it worked when I reframed it. So I think, yay, all done, right? Wrong. The power got caught into a loop, the thing started shaking, there was this big glowing white light, and a bunch of buzzing, so I put on the helmet, got sucked in and tossed around God knows where," Tony sucked in a big breath to continue. "I open my eyes and I'm not nearing fifty anymore, okay? You satisfied now? That's what happened!" he sighed in exasperation, slumping in his seat, hands over his face. 

"Wow, that was...quite the rollercoaster," Peter smirked. "Could you tell it again, but maybe give me more detail then you did the first time? I didn’t quite catch-“

"You're really not helping, Pete," Tony groaned. 

"Okay, okay, as much as I'm loving this, we really need to get you back to normal," Peter said firmly, taking a seat next to him. "You look weird."

Tony blinked at him and made a face, "Thanks kid." Then he shot straight up in his chair, "God- Pepper can't know. The team can't know either! Steve and Rhodes are on their way back- we gotta go," he decided, jumping to his feet and waving his arms. "Somewhere. Anywhere. And then we gotta get that machine working. It just shut off."

Peter pressed his hands against his temples, scratching at his curls, "Okay, here's what we do. We go back to my apartment and we figure out what happened and how to fix it. Then we sneak back in later, fix the time machine and then get you back to normal. That's the plan. Tony, for the love of God, can you stop sulking?"

"You're not the one who's freaking twelve!" Tony shot back, putting his head down in his arms and letting out a muffled yell of anger. 

Peter sighed, hauling Tony out of the seat, ignoring his protests. Peter rolled his eyes before grabbing his backpack and shoving in most of their stacks of paper that were filled with data and the two tablets Tony had been using. "FRIDAY, connect to my phone. You're our eyes and ears."

_"Will do."_

"And don't tell anyone about this, got it? No one," Peter pleaded to the A.I.

_"You have my word. I don't even know how I would explain what happened, honestly."_

"You know what, FRIDAY?" Tony swore as he grabbed his keys off the counter.

Peter grabbed his arm, steering him for the door, "Time to go."

Muttering about stupid artificial intelligence programs and sarcasm, Tony reluctantly followed him out the door of the lab. They walked down the hall and he yanked at his oversized shirt, looking around warily and groaning, "I look ridiculous."

"Yeah, nothing's changed," Peter said innocently. Tony glared at him, about to sneer a retort before someone turned the corner and came into view. Tony yelped, ducking behind Peter as the worker passed them.

Peter snickered, yanking Tony out from behind him, "It's not like they know who you are." They stop by the elevator and Peter presses the button before turning to Tony and hissing, "Seriously. Quit acting like you'retrying to rob a bank. You've got this guilty look written all over your face." He yanks Tony's hands down that are tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"Get off," Tony hisses.

Peter smacks him on the shoulder, "God, just _calm down_."

"Calm down?" Tony demands loudly, before lowering his voice and glaring at him. "Peter? In case you haven't noticed, my favorite shirt doesn't fit me, my voice is too high, and I took thirty freaking years off my belt, do _not_ tell me to calm down-"

The elevator opened and that's when Peter was the one who went pale, blanching immediately. Tony followed his gaze and gulped. Happy was staring at his iPad and Tony and Peter both froze.

The man looked up, nearly running into them as he exited, nodding at Peter, "Hey kid, where are you going?"

"Just downstairs," Peter squeaked, blinking rapidly and trying to give a convincing smile. 

Happy made a face and then said, "Okay?" His gaze switched to Tony and he frowned. "Who is that?"

"I- I-" Tony stuttered. 

Peter grabbed his shoulder and grinned, "T-this is my cousin. From Canada?" The last phrase was spoken as a question as Peter fabricated the excuse, biting the inside of his cheek.

Happy looked at the both of them and nodded slowly, "Oh, I didn't know he was visiting. He's got a name, doesn't he?"

"Robert," Tony thought up. 

"Anthony," Peter said at the same time. Tony and Peter looked at each other and Peter stuttered to make up for their blunder, "Robert Anthony, but he goes by...Anthony..."

Happy smirked and chuckled a bit. "Ok? Hi Anthony from Canada."

"Eh?" Tony choked out with a hopeful shrug.

Happy blinked at him before turning his attention back to Peter, "Hey, by the way, have you seen Tony?"

Peter scoffed, trying to do something with his hands before Tony yanked them to his side while Happy was scrolling through his iPad. He gulped and furiously shook his head, "Nope- no. No. Why would I have seen him?"

Happy snorted, looking up from the screen, "Uh, maybe because you two are practically inseparable."

Peter shifted his position, moving weight from foot to foot as he inched towards the elevator and chuckled nervously, "We're not- inseparable. No, I haven't- haven't...haven't seen him anywhere." He shoves his hands into his pockets before yanking them back out and stepping forward, calling over his shoulder, "You know, I'm not feeling well, if you see him, tell him I went home. Okay? Thanks. We're gonna go now. Okay. Bye Happy-"

He shoved Tony into the elevator and pressed the 'close door' button seventy times. 

"B-bye," Happy said in confusion as the doors shut. Peter and Tony slumped against the railing of the elevator in relief.

Then Tony looked over and raised an eyebrow, "Well you handled that well."

Peter shot him a look. "Eh?" he mocked. 

"Canada?" Tony demanded. 

"It was the best thing I could think of," Peter hissed as the door to the garage opened. They both walked out and Peter looked around to make sure no one was watching before they jogged over to Tony's Audi. Peter put his hand out, stopping Tony and he opened his palm.

"What, you want me to shake it?" Tony demanded in confusion. 

"Keys!" Peter exclaimed. 

"What?" 

Peter gave him a look, "Tony, you're twelve."

"I'm sixteen," Tony said definitely. " _At least._ Or a short seventeen year old."

Peter shook his head, "Yeah, _no_. I'm driving. Your feet probably don't even reach the pedals. Give me the keys."

He lunged and Tony moved his hand away, "My feet do too reach the pedals! I'm only an inch shorter than you, don't give me that crap, Parker."

Peter sighed in exasperation, lunging again before spluttering, "And what happens at the front gate, huh? Or if you get pulled over for not being able to see over the steering wheel? What are you gonna do, show them your license?" Tony frowned, before visibly realizing Peter was right. He sighed and Peter webbed the keys out of his hand, "Thank you."

"I hate this," Tony whispered. 

Peter opened his door, "Tony, get in the car."

"I hate this!" Tony hissed louder.

”Get in the car!” Peter yelled.

Tony glared at him, not breaking eye contact as they both got into the car in sync. Grumbling to himself, he slammed the door shut and put on his seat belt, moving the chair up. Peter pretended not to notice but Tony saw the smirk on his face.

The kid put the car in drive and pulled out of the spot as Tony crossed his arms in the passengers seat. He uncrossed them immediately when he realized Peter would say he was sulking. He wasn't sulking...he was just...not himself. Literally.

They pulled up to the front gate a minute later and Peter waved at Gerald, their security guard that Tony had known for ten years. 

Gerald gave Peter a fist bump through the window before looking at Tony. He motioned forward, leaning against the car as he grinned at Peter, "You didn't tell me you had a little brother."

Peter tensed and Tony swore in his seat, curling his fists and snarling, "I'm not his little brother, I'm-"

"He's my cousin," Peter cut in awkwardly with a forced grin, punching Tony in the arm subtly to get him to shut up. "My cousin. From Canada."

"Oh, cool," Gerald nodded in understanding and stepped back with a grin. He waved him forward and saluted, "See you tomorrow Peter!"

"Ok, yeah. See ya. You be safe now. Bye," Peter stuttered, closing the window and stepping on the gas. Tony flicked him in the back of the head once they were around the bend and Peter scowled, rubbing his curls, "Ow! What the heck was that for?"

"Why'd you punch me?" Tony demanded. 

Peter looked over, "Because you were going to say you were Tony Stark, that's why."

Tony grumbled something inaudible and Peter shook his head, returning his eyes to the road as he eased off the gas and turned the wheel, taking the curve back onto the main road. Peter had made it back into the city and a minute later they were a couple blocks away from his apartment building.

He looked over; Tony hadn't said much the entire ride. He was leaning against the window, one hand scratching the back of his head, something he only did when he was really nervous. Peter recognizes the anxious habit as his own; he had picked up on it from many all-nighters in the lab. 

Peter gave it a couple seconds before concern got to better of him. He reached over and nudged his shoulder, "Hey."

" _What_?" Tony snapped. 

Peter laughed nervously, "I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all."

"Sorry, kid. Yeah, I'm fine," Tony said dismissively. 

"Yeah, you sure look like it," Peter slurred sarcastically.

"No, what I look like is a preteen, so given those circumstances, I'd say yes, I'm fine," Tony said firmly. 

Peter sighed, shaking his head and looking over the wheel, resting his hand on top as they waited at a light. "Just asking."

Tony looked over a second later with a guilty expression and sighed, running a hand over his face, "I'm fine kid, I'm just..."

"Yeah, I know," Peter supplied, when Tony didn't finish. He looked over in worry and gave him a weak smile, "We're gonna fix this okay? We'll even laugh about it some other time, heck," he snickered, "we're even laughing about it now." 

" _You're_ laughing about it now," Tony corrected, but his lip curled slightly. 

Peter nodded, smirking, "Yeah, I am. But we'll get you back to normal, that's all I'm saying."

"Yeah kid," Tony nodded firmly before he blinked at Peter and raised an eyebrow. "You done being sappy?"

"Yeah, I'm done," Peter shook his head with a small smile. 

"Dangit, they haven't fixed the elevator yet," Peter sighed in annoyance as they entered Peter's apartment building and saw the out of order sign. 

"What's wrong with some steps?" Tony grinned. "I'll finally beat you up the stairs for once." He started stretching, pulling his knee up to his chest before bouncing a couple of times, "Dang, my legs feel _good_. I guess that's one upside to all this." 

Peter rolled his eyes as he dug into his back pocket, "Just give me a second. I'm getting the mail." He put his hands on Tony's shoulders firmly, looking at him warily, "Just stay here. Okay? Don't move."

"Ok _mom_ , gosh," Tony said, pushing Peter forward. 

Peter rounded the corner and jogged to the mailbox that was just down the hall, turning his key and going into the room. He made a beeline for his box and opened it, exhaling loudly, a headache starting.

"You have a very weird life, Peter Parker," he said to himself with a light shake of his head. He yanked out a couple letters, probably bills, and then shoved them into the backpack. Then he slung it over his shoulder and slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind him. When he turned the corner he saw Tony helping an old lady pick up the contents from her purse she had dropped. It was Mrs. Dell, the woman who lived down the hall from Peter. He got her mail every once in a while when she wasn't feeling well. 

"Let me get that for you, ma'am," Tony said sweetly, as he handed her the rest of her stuff. 

Mrs. Dell turned and saw Peter who came over and stood next to Tony and she smiled, "Peter, you didn't tell me you had such a nice, young brother."

Tony's face fell and Peter put his arm around him with a smile, steering him towards the steps and he calls over his shoulder with an awkward smile, "Thank you Mrs. Dell, have a nice night."

They slipped into the stairway and Tony pushed his arm off and stormed up the first level, "Why is everyone calling me your little brother! It's humiliating!"

"I literally have no sympathy for you," Peter drawled, tightening his backpack straps as he following Tony up the steps. Tony makes a face and waits for him to catch up, before resuming his walk unknowingly in sync. They reach Peter's floor and walk down the hall, stopping at the second to last apartment. Peter turns the key in the lock and opens the door, tossing his backpack to the couch and shrugging off his jacket. 

Tony locks the door behind them and Peter kicks off his shoes before going into the kitchen and calling, "You want food?"

"I'm good thanks," Tony responds automatically, but Peter tosses him a water bottle, protein bar, and cheese stick as he emerges with an innocent look. 

"I heard yes," Peter says, munching on a protein bar of his own.

"You got something other than water?" Tony asks. 

Peter shakes his head, "No underage drinking Tony, I'm sorry, you're gonna have to wait until you're twenty one."

"I swear to God," Tony swears with a laugh, throwing the granola bar at him. "I'm forty seven."

Peter grins before grabbing his backpack off the couch and nodding his head down the hall. He nudges open the door to his room and shoves some stuff under his bed to make room on the floor before sinking down onto the ground and dumping the contents of his backpack. 

Tony sits down across from him, his back against the desk and tugs out a bin of old computers, raising his eyebrow, "Ok, _now_ what do we have here? Tell me you upgraded. Retro tech? Thrift store? Salvation Army?"

"Uh, still the garbage, actually," Peter corrects with a grin.

Tony blinks, "Still? You're kidding me."

"What, I fix them up and sell them on ebay, it's easy money," Peter shrugs happily, separating his school work, their lab work, and mail from the massive pile he created by over-turning his backpack. Then he tosses the empty water bottle and protein bar wrapper that he had finished in the trash before grabbing another one. 

Tony stares at him, "Do you ever stop eating? How do you stay fit? What, you eat a buffet and then swing four blocks and burn it off, is that how it works?"

Peter grinned with a mouth full, "It's a secret. Also, if I don't eat like this, then I...well I don't exactly know what happens but I just know I have a bigger metabolism."

"You're challenging Scott to a pancake eating contest next time we see him," Tony says. 

Peter shrugs, "Ok."

Satisfied with the confirmation, Tony rips open the cheese stick and takes a bite. Peter suddenly drops the book. Tony's gaze snaps up, mouth full and he makes a face, asking slowly, "What? What did I do?"

"You don't bite a cheese stick, you peel it," Peter said firmly. "Are you a psychopath?"

"Are you really schooling me how to eat a cheese stick right now?" Tony says sarcastically. 

Peter narrows his eyes and shakes his head before he says, "Also, I can't take it anymore- you look ridiculous in that shirt." He waved his hand, already knee deep in their notes. "Go over there and find something that fits, I think I have some shirts and sweatshirts that I've been meaning to get rid of."

Tony sighs in annoyance, tugging at his favorite shirt before he goes over to Peter's closet and looks through it. He pulls out about five Star Wars shirts and holds them up for Peter to see, snorting, "Nerd."

Peter shoots him a glance from the ground, "Shut up."

"Good Lord...I didn't know you had so many bad pun shirts."

Peter sighs, "Are you gonna just tease me about my choice of t-shirts or are you gonna actually pick one? I'm trying to figure out how to turn you back here." Peter motions to the pile of paper's he's been spreading out. 

Tony yanks a blue one out about atoms and his brow furrows, trying to remember where he's seen it before. Then he turns, holding it out, "Hey, Pepper has this one."

Peter snorts, "Yeah, well, that would make sense because unlike you, Pep has good fashion taste. Maybe she and I should twin sometime."

"I'll kill you," Tony says automatically before he looks over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Also? That Stark Industries convention I brought you to? You want me to bring that up again Mr. Fashion Sense?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Peter grumbles.

"Thought so," Tony grins, before he grabs a Stark Industries sweatshirt and a white shirt about pizza because it had some stupid joke on it that made Tony smile no matter what he told Peter. He grabs some jeans that look like they would fit and points down the hall, "Which door?"

"The one with the sink," Peter says helpfully, not looking up.

"Screw you," Tony says, grabbing the nearest non lethal thing he can find, which happens to be a stress ball, on Peter's nearby desk. He chucks it at the kid and it hits him in the head.

"Ow!" Peter grumbles.

"I thought you had spider senses- I take it back!" Tony takes cover in the hall as Peter launches the ball back at him. It bounces off the door and tumbles to the floor under his bed as Tony walks down the hall, laughing. 

Peter's shuffling through their pages of notes when he hears Tony yell, "I figured out why your hair always looks like crap! You have no product in here!"

"Shut up!" Peter yells back, self-consciously smoothing down his hair and webbing the bag of Doritos he kept on his desk. He's munching on some when Tony comes back a couple minutes later. "Ok, so I think we've got every important data strip we need," he says firmly, doing a slight double take as Tony walks through the door in jeans and a Stark Industries sweatshirt, which Peter has seen him in before, but now just...thirty years younger. Peter doesn't think he will ever get used to the fact that Tony wasn't...Tony anymore. The two teenagers sat on the floor next to each other and Tony rubbed where his goatee would be.

"First things first, we figure out what happened," Tony said firmly, before he eyes the chips. "I want some."

He reaches for the bag of Doritos and Peter makes a face, reluctantly leaning it toward him, muttering, "Get your own. And no, by the way," Peter takes his phone out of his pocket. "First things first, we check in with FRIDAY."

_"Hi Peter."_

"Hey," Peter says, holding up a piece of paper for Tony to look at. "Anyone notice he's gone yet?"

 _"Nope,"_ FRIDAY says, with a slight humor to her tone. Tony scoffs at that before the A.I. continues, _"That reminds me. Sir, your private jet left an hour ago to the conference in California. They're not gonna be happy when it arrives."_

"Ok, I wasn't going to that anyway, but here's what confuses me," Tony puts up a hand. "Why is it called my private jet, if it just leaves without me on it? Explain that one for gosh sakes-"

Peter stares at him blankly, "You're literally a teenager right now, Tony...and you're worried about how private jets work?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. And? Another thing? Why has no one has noticed I'm gone yet? What if I was kidnapped? Or dying somewhere?" Tony crosses his arms and falls onto his back on the ground.

"Can you send a message to Pepper telling her that Tony went to some conference and won't be answering calls or texts for the next couple of days?" Peter suggested. "Make it believable and authentic. We can't have anyone getting suspicious."

_"I thought you would say that, it's almost complete."_

"Awesome, thanks FRIDAY. Now in terms of the machine..." Peter trails off, handing another page of their notes to Tony before he examines another. "What changes did Tony make to the process. What made it tik?"

_"We amped the power up a couple notches, looked at a mod inspiration this time in the shape of-"_

"A mobius strip. Inverted. Eigenvalue with a particle factoring and a spectral decomp," Tony finished. "I was there. I did it. Why didn't you ask me?"

"Your memory is iffy, you're getting old," Peter shrugged before he grinned, "Oh, wait, actually you're not. I'm sorry."

Tony blinked, "For once I actually didn't want an apology."

"Anyway," Peter steers them back on track. "Whatever you did- the mobius strip crap obviously worked. So what screwed you over?" Peter asked thoughtfully, rubbing the back of his head. 

Tony snatches the piece of paper from him, "I...I don't know." He focuses on two of the papers Peter had pulled out, scanning the data they had gotten and the different parts of the machine. 

"Tony," Peter says to get his attention. 

Tony looks up, "Yeah kid-" There's a flash from a camera and Peter grins, snickering as he tucks his phone back into his pocket. Tony scowls, "Delete that Parker, I swear to God, it's not funny."

"It's a little funny," Peter admits, refusing to delete the photo. "For old times sake! A little memento."

Tony tosses a paper at him that Peter lunges to catch since it fell weird, "You gonna work on this at all? Huh? Maybe help me figure out how to turn myself back into a normal human being?"

"You are a normal human being," Peter said innocently. 

"Well then back to my _original age,_ Peter. If you haven't noticed, I'm a little on the young side," he said angrily. 

"Oh yeah, that, I _forgot_ ," Peter slurs sarcastically. "What am I, an idiot?"

"Yes," Tony says matter-of-factly. He hands Peter a paper, "Take a look at this. It's the trial run we did. Look at the numbers. Then look at the ones from my run. The ones on the paper to your left." He turns Peter's head with a sigh, "Your _other_ left. There we go genius."

Peter bites his lip as he compares the two sets of numbers, "That's not cool. We need to replicate that much energy?"

Tony sighs, "You're right, it's not cool. And yes, that much energy. Okay...well," he rubs his hands together and stands. "It's gonna be a long night. I need pizza. I'm ordering pizza."

"Pepperoni," Peter says absentmindedly, gnawing on a pencil he webbed from his desk as he did math in the margins.

"Anchovies, just for that comment," Tony sniffs. 

"Pepperoni or I'm texting this picture to Rhodes," Peter shot back. 

Tony stared in disbelief before muttering, "Fine." Then he turned on his heel, "Where'd you learn to give sarcastic ultimatums like that, huh?"

Peter looked up, "You."

"Darn right."

Peter grins. About thirty minutes later they're both munching on pizza, lying on the floor in opposite directions. Peter sips on his second Monster and rubs his nose with the back of his hand, "So...what did you see in there?"

"In the Quantum Realm?" Tony asks, taking a bite of the pizza. 

Peter lifts his head, "No. Disneyland."

"Shut up," Tony says. "And is that your second energy drink?"

"Yeah, why?" Peter wonders, finishing it off and crumpling the can in his fist. 

Tony makes a face, "Don't do that- it's mildly threatening. And you're done with Monsters tonight by the way. That was your last one. No more," Tony says firmly.

"Don't tell me what to do," Peter shoots back. "And answer my question, what did you see in there?" 

"Colors," Tony said slowly, pondering silently. 

Peter nudges his shoulder with his foot, "Well that's fascinating Tony, care to elaborate? You're really...painting a picture for me there."

"I don't know!" Tony protested. "It felt like an hour but a second at the same time. I was falling into nothingness, there were a bunch of flashes and colors and swirls and patterns, like literal atoms fusing in front of me, things I can still see but not explain. It was insane."

"When we change you back, I want to go," Peter decided.

Tony shot straight up, "Excuse me?"

Peter sat up too and shrugged, "Why not? If we know how to change you back, why can't I go?"

"Because it's dangerous! No, kid. End of discussion," Tony laid back down. "Ask more stupid questions. Change the subject."

Peter made a face and sighed as he laid back down too, grabbing his bag of Doritos, "So how long was it really?"

FRIDAY answered that question, _"Not even a second."_

"Were you...were you scared?" Peter asked honestly, grabbing another monster and popping the tab as silently as he could. 

Tony scoffed, "Absolutely not."

"You're lying," Peter grinned. 

"I am not!" Tony protested. 

"I can tell you're lying," Peter laughed. "FRIDAY?"

_"He did scream very loudly."_

"Really, FRIDAY? Thank you. Is nothing confidential around here anymore?" Tony sighed in annoyance. 

"No, not really," Peter smirked to himself, sipping on his drink. Then he nudged Tony's shoulder with his foot, "Honestly though, how are you doing about all this? Because you can cover it up by chucking stress balls at me and ordering pizza and making jokes, but I see right through you. So get it out now, just this once, and tell me the truth so I don't have to worry about you."

"Peter-" Tony started. 

"I'm serious. Two seconds. Come on," Peter said firmly. 

Tony sighed, "I'm fine. Little weirded out I guess. Only 17% worried. Kind of have no idea what I'm doing, but face it, this isn't the weirdest thing that's happened to me."

Peter made a face, "It kind of is."

"Well..." Tony trailed off with a chuckle. Then he made eye contact with Peter and nodded. "I'm good kid," he promised. "Just the faster I get back to normal, the better. Don't worry about me."

Peter sat up and reached for a pile of notes, sighing, "Yeah, okay."

Tony looked up with a heartfelt glance, "And thanks. If it wasn't for you I would have been...even more screwed right now."

Peter gave him a small smile and then it changed into a smirk, "If I was out of the equation you would still be your right age because you would have never gotten this far on the time machine without me."

"Wow, ouch, low blow Parker," Tony laughed. 

Peter smiled, "I think you'll live."

Tony reached over and ruffled his hair before grabbing another piece of pizza from the box on the floor, "Alright. Let's figure this out." He reached for a pencil, turning his back, missing Peter's glance of concern. 

About five hours later, despite seven energy drinks scattered around the floor, Peter was currently falling asleep at his desk with his head on his arms, his eyelids slowly closing. Suddenly Tony jumps, shaking the floor and shouting, "YAHTZEE! BINGO! WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, I'VE GOT IT!"

Peter jerks up, toppling his chair and falling to the floor with a groan. He hits his side on a bin that somehow made it's way into the middle of the room and groans, rubbing his curls and wincing as he flops down onto his back, kicking the chair away. He yawns, "What- what did you get?"

The papers and pencils they pulled out have made their way around the entire room, Peter's phone was being charged in the corner, projecting a 3D model of the machine, and his entire bedroom was a mess, flipped around to create space and position certain papers at exact spots. 

"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition, right?" Tony says excitedly, somehow not tired. His eyes were wide with excitement and Peter reminds himself to ask Tony how much sleep he's been getting lately. 

He nodded sleepily and yawns out his answer, stretching his legs, "Yeah."

Tony smacks the piece of paper, "It's the EPR paradox kid."

That's when Peter sits up straighter, spluttering, "The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox, right?"

"Yeah, I can't believe I didn't think of this before. It's a thought experiment that's meant to demonstrate the earliest forms of quantum theroy. It's the most well known example of quantum entanglement! Instead of pushing me through time, we wound up pushing time through _me_."

Peter nodded, running his hands through his hair, "Okay, okay, this is good, we know what happened now. But how do we fix it, I mean there's got to be a way to fix you right? To reverse it? Or- or do it again?"

Tony paced the room, "Uh, yeah, of course there is. I mean, if we just get the time machine started again and repeat the process, but this time do it right, it should work. We just need to have a way to navigate through space and time. The Quantum Realm is a tricky place but if we have some sort of device that controls when we pull me out of the loop, I should be able to...push time through me again and get me back to...forty seven."

"So we build a fully functioning Time-Space GPS," Peter grinned. 

"Exactly," Tony grinned, hitting the paper.

"Okay," Peter exhaled, slumping against his bed. "Ok! We can do that."

"Of course we can," Tony shrugged, sliding to the floor next to Peter, letting the paper flutter to the carpet in front of them. "We're freaking geniuses."

"Darn right. Not today though," Peter says sleepily, looking over at the clock that blares with some unfriendly red numbers. "I need my four hours," he says. Peter gets to his feet and climbs effortlessly up to the top bunk with a groan. "Ugh, I have a math test tomorrow!"

"Oh I'm so sorry," Tony drawls from below. "I'm a freaking teenager again. But by all means- a math test, dear God."

Peter ignores him before a problem enters his head. He frowns, "Wait- crap." Peter lets his upper half hang off the side, looking upside down at Tony who moves to the lower bunk.

"What's wait crap?" Tony asks nervously.

Peter blinks, "What are you gonna do tomorrow?"

"What do you mean what am I gonna do?" Tony scoffs. 

Peter laughs, rubbing his eye, "Well you can't stay here. May will be home and it's not like you can hide in my room for the whole day! Even if you wanted to tell her, which I seriously doubt you do, there's no way she would believe you. It's crazy!"

Tony dragged a hand over his face, "You got that right."

Peter nodded, sighing, "So you can't stay here, it's not like you can just rent a hotel room or some crap, or walk around the city for a day. And what are you gonna do, drive to the compound? Not an option. So unless you got some villa that you can get to _and_ get _into_ as a fourteen year old kid, there's only one option left."

Tony frowned before his heart dropped. He grit his teeth, "Never in a million years."

"You stick with me the whole day! Come on," Peter urges. Tony swings a pillow and Peter tucks up, doing a sit up as the pillow misses him. He lets himself hang back down and grins. "It will be fun."

"No," Tony grumbles. 

"Yes," Peter smiles. "You'd fit right in!" 

"No Peter," Tony shakes his head, "Not gonna happen."

"Oh, it's gonna happen," Peter laughs. 

"Pete?" Tony says firmly. "There's no way. Stop smiling. Kid- absolutely not!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo hyped to write the next chapter u have no idea XD. ALSO so I have a rough plan of some plot points, but seriously, let me know if you want to see something happen that's like funny or just an exchange between the two boys and if it fits I will add it in. Anyway, let me know what you thought and stay tuned for the next chapter! Thank you for all your support, stay healthy and stay sane during this crazy time!  
> I love you all 3000 <3


	3. Welcome To Midtown High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers! Ahhhhhhh sooooo yeah. Tony's at school now. What have I done? Honestly I have no idea. Also I looked up pictures of robert downey jr when he was young??? .......... words cannot express the inspiration bestowed upon me for this chap and my love for this idea and the literal chaos I have created omg. This IS literal chaos, I will not lie. Altho although chapter is comical...we get out first taste of action because when there is Midtown, there is one Mr. Flash Thompson everyone! (a meaner version who seriouslyyyy bullies peter)  
> And ofc a sappy moment when all is said and done because these boys love to show emotion that's covered up by humor and...not showing literally any emotion. It's fun to write XD and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I am honestly cranking these chapters out because they are so easy and a blast for me to write so expect these every 2-3 days :)  
> Thank you so much for all your support, I am soooo happy this is making you laugh and I've got some more gold lines in there for you coming up! Read on!

BEEP BEEP BEEP 

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Tony opened one eye and groaned, shoving his face in the pillow. "Peter," he grumbled. "Get your stupid alarm."

BEEP BEEP BEEP 

Tony sat up, hitting his head on the top bunk. He sank back down, rubbing his hair and sighing as he ran a hand over his face, hoping he would feel his familiar beard. Nope. He was still a teenager. Nothing had changed...not that he thought it would. "Peter!" Tony said louder, kicking his feet against the top bunk, jostling the mattress. Nothing. "Good Lord," Tony says, kicking it harder and that's when he gets a reaction.

The kid on the top bunk mumbles, "I'm gonna kill you."

"You have to get out of bed to do that," Tony sneers, kicking the top bunk again.

"Stop!"

"Get your stupid freaking alarm!"

"You get it!"

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"For the love-" Tony swung his legs over the side of the bed and scrambled to his feet. Tony put out his palm, aiming at the alarm clock on the other end of the room before remembering he didn't have a blaster. He lowers his hand angrily, prepared to get up and smash the thing when a web shoots over his shoulder and yanks the alarm clock past him.

Tony turned and Peter was hanging upside down off the top bunk, the beeping device in his hands. He turned off the alarm and raised a eyebrow. "Were you about to blow up my clock?"

"Oh look, you're alive," Tony says dryly. 

Peter flips down, landing perfectly and rubbing his eye to rid sleep, "Sorry to disappoint. Ready for school?" Tony blinks angrily at him and Peter snickers, patting him on the shoulder as he walks by.

They go into the kitchen and Peter yawns, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"When did you make that?" Tony asks suspiciously, seeing the liquid steaming.

"I woke up in the middle of the night. Had nothing else better to do," Peter shrugs.

"Peter, do you get enough sleep?" Tony asked in concern.

Peter raises an eyebrow mid-pour, "Are you worried about me?"

"No, of course not," Tony scoffs. "I just want to make sure my side kick isn't nodding off hundreds of feet in the air."

"I'm not your side kick," Peter snorts, not bothering to heat up the coffee, about to take a big gulp.

Tony grabs it out of his hands and sips it instead, looking at him with a frown, "You're too young to have coffee."

Peter makes a face, grabs another cup and fills it, making sure Tony can see as he snaps, "Then _technically_ you are too. Your organs obviously shrank. You're younger than me, so if we're playing by your rules-" Peter snatched the cup out of Tony's hands and went to the sink to dump it, "You're the one who shouldn't-"

"Give me back my coffee or you're grounded."

Peter did a full turn and handed it back as if on his own accord, shrugging, "I've made my point."

"What time does school start?" Tony asked, rubbing a hand over his face. 

Peter starts to grin, snickering, "I can't believe you just said that-"

"Peter!"

Peter looks over at the clock, "We're leaving in twenty minutes." He tosses him a banana, taking one for himself. "Your hair looks like crap."

"Touche!" Tony yells back as Peter walks down the hall, flattening his bed head. He flips the banana in his hand and sighs, "This should be fun."

"You have got to be kidding me," Tony grumbles, adjusting the blue Midtown High sweatshirt Peter had given him. He tightens the straps of his backpack and hisses, "How did I let you talk me into this?"

"What, you got a better idea?" Peter asks as they walk beside the football field that lays in front of the massive school. "Look, it's only for a couple hours. After school, we'll go back to the compound, okay? Sort this mess out."

"Yeah, yeah. I better not have to take a test," Tony grumbles. 

Peter shoots him a look, "What, you have butterflies? Are you kidding? You could probably ace every single one of the tests here."

Tony nods thoughtfully, running a hand through his hair, "This is true, I am a genius."

Peter rolls his eyes at Tony's ego before he hears a familiar honk and looks to his left instinctively. He sees Flash's car speed down the road and he yanks both Tony's arm and collar, pulling him forward as the bully drives past, barely missing them. 

Flash looks over his shoulder, shouting, "Sup Penis Parker!" He revs the engine a couple more times before turning the corner to park, giving Peter the middle finger. 

Peter fists Tony's sweatshirt and straightens him, "You good?"

Tony shoves him off angrily, staring down the street where Flash drove off, "Yes 'I'm good'! I'm gonna kill that kid! What did he call you?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Peter sighs dismissively, hitting Tony on the shoulder and tossing his head forward. "Come on."

They walk up the steps to the school and Peter pushes open the doors. They beeline for the front office and the man at the desk looks up with a smile, "Mr. Parker! What can I do for you?"

Peter smiles awkwardly, "Hi, Principal Morita." He pushes Tony forward who waves slowly. "This is Anthony, he's my cousin and he's staying with May and I today. I know we didn't schedule an orientation, because it was such short notice, but I was wondering if he could sit in on my classes. He may move here in the summer and enroll for next fall."

The principal stands and offers his hand to Tony, "Of course! We'd love to have you, especially if you're as bright as your cousin," he says to Tony, winking at Peter. 

Peter grins, nudging Tony in the back, "He's actually way smarter." Tony suppresses a smile.

Principal Morita raises his eyebrows, clearly impressed, "Is that so? And how old?"

"Sixteen," Tony says firmly, refusing to stoop any lower.

The principal holds back a smirk and looks back and forth between Peter and Tony. Then he lowers his voice, "It doesn't matter if you're younger Anthony, you can still stick with Peter for the whole day."

Peter's trying not to laugh so hard that he has to look away and Tony's jaw drops. "I am sixteen _sir_ ," he spits.

The principal nods, clasping his hands, "Ah, so just a little on the short side, are we?"

"Excuse me?" Tony narrows his eyes, still unable to close his jaw.

The principal puts his hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, I understand that. I was the shortest out of all of my brothers."

Tony's fuming and Peter steps in, his face red as he coughs out, "He's- kind of- sensitive about it all."

"What do you mean _short side_?" Tony asks defensively, crossing his arms. 

"Ok, Anthony, we should go," Peter pats his shoulder, stepping on his foot subtly. "Thank you Mr. Morita."

The principal nods, "Yes, of course. Enjoy your day Anthony, Peter will take good care of you. And if you have any questions, just find your way back here, okay? I'll be gone today, I have a couple meetings to attend, but any of the vice principals would be happy to assist you."

"Thanks," Peter said, tugging on Tony's sweatshirt. "We better go now. First block."

The principal loops around his desk and waves his hand forward, "Go, go, don't be late."

Tony pushes open the door and whispers to Peter, "You lie with such ease kid, it kind of scares me."

Peter grins, "Well, I am Spiderman."

"You do that to me?" he demands. 

Peter hesitates, "Not...often?"

Tony glares at him before she shakes his head and grumbles, "Short side. Who does he think he is?"

He looks around at the massive entrance and can't help but feel a little nostalgic for his high school days. It's not common to get to relive it. The walls are covered with banners of past accomplishments, massive windows that have beautiful rays of sun streaming through them clutter the front wall. The staircase is full and there is not one single square of empty space. Science experiments are being carried, threatening to fall at every turn, and Tony ducks as a drone flies over his head. "You got a neat school kid," he admits in awe. 

Peter grins and nods, looking around before asking, "Glad you came?"

Tony shakes his head, "I didn't say that."

"Hey, Peter!"

Peter and Tony swivel and see Ned and MJ coming over, pushing through a crowd and trying to cross the busy center.

Peter hisses, "Should I tell them?"

"Are you crazy?" Tony whispers harshly back, his eyes widening. "Oh yeah, go for it. Hey guys, it's me Peter. And right here is the billionaire playboy Tony Stark. See, we had a little accident with time travel and he got turned into a teenager! Ready for the history quiz?" 

"I never keep anything from Ned!" Peter protests, hitting Tony on the shoulder. "I even told him about Spiderman! Even though that was an accident-"

"Ok, well make an exception!" Tony says before he has to shut up because Peter's friends have made it over. He sticks out his hand to introduce himself properly, "Hi. I'm Peter's cousin. Anthony. I'm visiting from Canada."

"Peter, you didn't tell us you had a cousin coming," MJ laughs, shaking his hand. She's tall, with frizzy brown hair and mischievous smile, wearing a white shirt and black jeans with a jacket tied around her waist. Ned shakes his hand as well, much more excitedly, and Tony starts to remember the characteristics of Peter's best friend; he had met him once or twice.

"Yeah, well it was totally unexpected," Peter laughs with no humor. That was true.

"So you're MJ," Tony grins at the girl. "Peter's talked about you."

MJ laughs and blushes slightly, trying to hide it, "Oh really? All good things, hopefully."

Peter shoots him a look like 'what the heck do you think you are doing' and subtly shakes his head, glaring at him. Tony grins and nods to MJ, "Oh yeah, all good things." 

Ned, oblivious to the fact that Tony is trying to set Peter up with MJ, rubs the straps on his backpack and bounces on his heels, asking, "So, are you younger or older than Peter?"

"Younger," Peter blurts out before Tony can say otherwise.

"Younger," Tony agrees with gritted teeth, subtly kicking Peter in the shin.

"Cool, and you're gonna be sticking with Peter the whole day?" Ned asks. Tony nods and the boy's eyes light up. "Awesome, you can take our physics test!"

"We have a physics test today?" Peter groans. 

"You didn't study last night?" Tony asks innocently. 

Peter shoots him a pointed look of disbelief, "I was _busy_. Tony Stark, was being a reckless idiot."

"I think he was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Purely unintentional," Tony sniffs. 

Peter turns to him, "You would say that, wouldn't you?-

"Ok," MJ clears her throat to them to stop arguing. She and Ned are watching them with grins and she raises an eyebrow and her gaze flicks up to the clock on the wall, "I will see you all at lunch. I have to go to class. Nice to meet you Anthony. Peter, you're playing Game Pigeon with me during third block, I'm not reading the stupid book they assigned in English; it's historically inaccurate."

"Will do," Peter calls, waving to MJ as she ties her hair into a messy bun and walks down the hall, disappearing in the crowd of people. 

Ned does a handshake with Peter and salutes, "I will see you at lunch as well, my friend. I have a counselor meeting for classes next year? So I was worried you wouldn't have a partner for the lab, but now you do, so I don't feel bad. Well I do feel bad, but you know what I mean-"

"Ned," Peter laughs, patting his friend on the shoulder, "It's fine."

"Yeah," Ned says in relief. "Anthony, good luck!" Then he backs away and runs off down the hall.

"Does he always talk that fast?" Tony asks as he waves with an awkward smile.

"Yep," Peter sighs.

Tony turns around with Peter as they head for the stairs, "Why don't we have a handshake?"

"We do," Peter says. "We punch each other."

Tony nods, "Right. Ok, first class, what is it?"

"Chemistry," Peter says as they walk up the steps. They push through the crowd and walk down the hall, taking a right before entering the first classroom. After explaining the circumstances with his teacher, Peter walks to his desk and Tony slips in the chair next to him, shrugging off his backpack. He sees a group of girls in front of them and a couple of them look back and smile. Tony nudges Peter's shoulder and motions forward. 

"So you get any of those girls phone numbers?" Tony asks, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Peter looks up and laughs, "What? No. Shut up."

"What?" Tony turns in his seat, hitting him on the arm. "You're telling me, that you come to school, study and read books, say a few answers when the teacher calls on you and then just leave?"

Peter looks at him blankly and slowly nods, "Yeah. It's called being a good student."

"I've never heard anything so irresponsible in my life," Tony says, clutching his chest like he's having a heart attack. 

Peter hits him with his text book, "And you, are the definition of a bad student."

Tony scoffs, "My multiple degrees and age I finished them beg to differ." Getting an eye roll from Peter he grins and looks away, only for his face to fall. "Oh great," Tony grumbles a second later. "It's idiot kid."

"Flash," Peter says with a nod.

The boy saunters through the door with two of his buddies and Peter's gaze flicks up before he puts his chin on his clasped hands at his desk. Tony's gaze stays on Flash as he loops around the classroom and takes a seat directly behind Peter, kicking his feet up onto the table.

A second later Flash leans forward and holds his hand out for Tony after looking him over. He raises an eyebrow, "I haven't seen you before. You got a name new kid?"

Tony hesitantly shakes it, "Yeah, Anthony. It's my first day and you almost ran me over."

Flash smirks, his grip firm and then he reaches across the table to yank Peter's hoodie, "Stay a couple feet away from this weirdo when you're crossing the street and you'll be fine."

Tony tenses at that, giving the boy a fake smile. He looks for Peter's reaction but the kid's gaze hasn't moved from the front of the class, oblivious to the pull of his sweatshirt. Peter then reaches and opens his book, relieved that the bell rang. Tony shrugs it off, turning and facing forward as their teacher starts to take attendance.

One minute in, Peter looks out of the corner of his eye and sees Flash aiming a pencil at Tony's back. His hand lashes out and he catches it, glaring at Flash and shaking his head. The bully readjusts his aim with another pencil and Peter sighs, turning around. A second later, he flinches as he feels it hit the back of his head and he looks down.

Tony notices the wince but misses the pencil as he looks over, whispering, "What?"

Peter scratches his curls, "Nothing."

They work their way through the lesson, getting up a couple minutes later to go do a lab. Peter slides out of his seat and follows Tony to the back, seeing Flash's foot stick out just as walks by. Peter knows that if it wasn't for his powers, there would be no way he would have avoided it, so he lets it trip him. He hits the far desk with a groan, bruising his ribs and Tony's at his side immediately, tugging his jacket and helping him stand with a supportive palm against his back.

His gaze is full of concern and he asks, "You okay Pete? Gotta watch where you're going there."

"I'm fine. Just slipped," Peter assures him before they walk back to the lab stations. He glances behind him at Flash who gives him a look of innocence.

Tony has staked out a lab station and they declare their territory, starting to set up the equipment needed. "We're gonna leave all these kids in the dust," Tony snorts. "I do this in my sleep."

Peter smiles, "It's not a competition, Tony."

Tony looks over at him and slaps on some goggles, tossing some to Peter, "It is now." Then he holds up a vial of chemicals and looks over at him, "You know, I bet if you drank this, you wouldn't die." Peter reaches for it and Tony widens his eyes and pulls it away, "I was kidding!"

Peter puts on his pair of eye wear and pulls over the instruction sheet. They skim it for a second before crumpling it into a bar and starting the process. Working in harmony with Tony for those couple minutes, Peter can forget about his bully, and he feels like they're in the lab, working on some suit. He and Tony are the best team in the class, executing the experiment perfectly and way ahead of everyone else.

The chemistry teacher even comes over and compliments their work, promising to give Peter a couple bonus points on his next quiz. Tony looks over and punches Peter in the arm with a grin; a smile breaks out onto the kid's face. Right then and there Tony decides that maybe this day wasn't so bad after all. 

They all return to their seats and are doing a worksheet when Tony sees Peter flinch for at least the tenth time in the past couple minutes. With a sigh, Tony turns to him and grabs his arm, making a face, "What? Lay it out Peter, what's-"

As Peter turns, a pen hits the back of his head. The kid winces, rubbing his hair and shaking his head, pushing Tony's shoulder and forcing him to turn around. Tony looks behind him over his other arm and sees Flash casually chucking objects at the back of Peter's head, a growing pile at the bottom of his chair. 

"Son of a-" Tony swears angrily, furious with the kid and furious with himself for not catching it sooner. 

Peter shakes his head firmly and grabs his arm before he can topple his chair and lunge at the kid. Tony locks eyes with him and Peter hisses, "Tony, no. It's fine, ok? Just drop it."

The teacher passes at that instant and both Peter and Tony bend over their own worksheets, pretending to be deep in thought. At Peter's expression, Tony stays quiet for the next couple minutes, but his gaze isn't on the worksheet, it's on Peter's curls, prepared to sock that kid a new one if he threw one more thing at Peter's head. Luckily, the bell rings and Tony stands normally, reaching for his backpack, but Peter bolts, grabbing his bag and beelining for the door. 

"Pete- hey, wait," Tony trips over his own feet trying to catch up with him. 

Flash calls out, "Hey, new kid." He stands across from Tony at the end of the room and tosses his head, "Make sure you're hanging with the right people."

Tony gives him a look, narrowing his eyes and sneering, "Yeah. Sure." Then he hurries out to go catch up with Peter who is walking quickly down the hallway. He finally grabs the kid's shoulder after squeezing through a dozen students. "What the heck Peter, where's the fire?"

"Just want to get to next block, that's all," Peter says, not looking at him. 

"Uh huh," Tony nodded, dropping his hold on Peter's arm. He points behind them, "How long has that kid been bothering you?"

Peter fails miserably as he tries to look confused at who Tony is referencing, "Who, Flash?" 

"No, I was talking about freaking Santa Claus," Tony rolls his eyes. 

Peter looks over at him, "I'm sorry to be the one who breaks it to you little boy, but Santa Claus isn't real."

Tony fake laughs, "Very funny kid." He takes the joke since Peter has a genuine hint of a smile on his face. 

"Next class is Physics and we've got a test," Peter informs him. "And then we go to lunch. Your first taste of cafe food," he wiggles his eyebrows. 

Tony grumbles, putting his other arm through the second strap of his backpack, "Well great. A test. Just what I wanted to be doing. And they better have cheeseburgers at your cafeteria. If they don't or if it tastes like cardboard, I am buying your school a new meal plan."

"Hey, now I have an actual reason to change you back," Peter jokes. 

Tony grins, lightly knocking Peter's shoulder, "Hilarious."

"How the heck did you get a 100 on that quiz?" Ned marvels, hanging on Tony's every word. "I mean, you even beat Peter! No one ever beats Peter!"

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," Tony flashes a smile at Peter who has his hands in his pockets and is silently fuming as they walk to the cafeteria. 

"I got a 99. It was one point, okay, not a big deal," Peter groans but Tony is still smiling and he splutters, "Good Lord, don't let it get to your head."

"Yeah, but I didn't study," Tony points out with a cocky wink. 

"He didn't study!" Ned echoes. 

"Ned!" Peter shoots him a look and his friend puts up his hands in surrender. Peter shakes his head, scoffing as Tony shoots him a grin. "So I guess you're liking school then, huh?" Peter smirks.

"It's not too bad," Tony admits. 

Ned's brow furrows, "Did you not have school in Canada?"

Tony looks at Peter like 'let me have fun' and he turns to Ned solemnly. "No, I didn't actually. I learned from this textbook I found in the backyard one day. I would walk to the nearest school in the four feet of snow but I'm honestly playing hockey all the time, so it's super hard."

Peter scoffs, since that's about the worst cover story anyone could have ever said, until he remembers that Ned thinks people give you gold coins when you finish a spreadsheet in a job. He turns slowly to his best friend, afraid he's going to get proven right. Sure enough, Ned, fully enthralled in this lie, nods vigorously, "Yeah! Wow, that's insane man."

Tony lets out a long sigh as they enter the large cafe, "But Canada, ya know? What can you do?"

Ned hits Peter on the shoulder who is looking Tony with a blank expression, saddened at how his best friend could believe any word of that. Ned splutters, "Your cousin is a legend! His life is insane!"

Peter gives him an annoyed smile before looking at Tony and raising his eyebrows, "Yeah, unbelievable. Literally. _Not believable._ "

They walk into the cafe and take a seat at their table near the side, Peter saving a spot for MJ. Tony doesn't sit down, instead he rubs his hands and points toward the direction of the food, "Ok, I'm getting a cheeseburger."

Peter shakes his head and snags his sweatshirt, "No, you don't go now. The lines is too long. The trick is to wait a couple minutes and then-"

Tony winked, "Watch and learn gents."

Ned and Peter lean forward as Tony starts talking to the girls at the end of the line and slowly ends up in front of them, before maneuvering his way through the people with high fives to kids he doesn't even know. Mere seconds later, he's shooting a peace sign in Peter's direction before disappearing near the front, the massive line in his wake. 

"How did he just-" Peter wonders with wide eyes before something hits him hard in the back. Peter groans and straightens as Flash sits down on the bench next to him, dropping his basketball onto the table, which shakes from the force. 

"Hey Parker."

Peter immediately tenses his shoulders and looks out of the corner of his eye, his voice a notch quieter, "What do you want Flash?"

Flash puts his arm around Peter who winces. The bully points, "Your friend over there, Anthony, right? Pretty cool. Do me a favor and stay away from him, will ya?" he asks nicely, clasping Peter's shoulder. 

"And if I don't?" Peter scoffed, not making eye contact, his chest burning with internal fury. 

Flash stood, dropping his arm as he bounced the ball against his back again, harder this time and grinned, "I'll shove you in a locker."

Peter sighed, "You're in the top high school of science, Flash, and yet you still think that you can fit someone older than a middle-schooler into a small rectangular space."

"We'll see Parker," Flash said, walking away. "I highly suggest you move tables. You too Leeds."

Peter glared at his back as Flash walked over to his friends, a couple tables down, and slid into his seat. Ned looked at him with pity and nudged him slightly, "You could totally take him Peter."

"I know, Ned, okay? I know," Peter snapped, running a hand through his hair. His friend nodded and Peter let out a sigh; Flash bothered him more than he let on. Peter was a kid who could dodge bullets and stop a bus with his bare hands but he couldn't get rid of a bully that had been tormenting him for the past six years. Smooth, he though to himself.

Breaking his train of thought, Tony sat down across from him with a cheeseburger and four packets of ketchup, clasping his hands, "And that's how it's done." Peter was rubbing his back and Tony looked at him weird, "What's up with you?"

Peter dropped his hand and took out a book instead, "Nothing."

"Flash hit Peter in the back with a basketball," Ned said quickly.

Tony froze, straightening and looking at Peter who was glaring at Ned. "Really?" Peter hissed at his friend, before glancing at Tony guiltily.

Tony turned to look at the nearby table where Flash was seated, before he gaze flicked back to Peter. He made a face and nodded, suddenly moving his whole body to stare directly at the bully, his feet kicked up on the seat, his arms crossing in front of his chest.

Peter blanched and reached for his sleeve, whispering, "No. Tony, don't look at him. Stop looking at him."

Tony waved him off, not breaking his stare, "I'll look at him."

"Stop it. Stop it, Tony, come on. Oh great, good job, real good job," Peter sighed, ducking his head down as Flash got up and walked over. 

"Parker, why are you still here?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Excuse me?" Tony asked with a snort, confused at what was going on. 

Flash sighed and flicked his head to the side, "Move tables Peter." 

Tony shot him a look and shook his head, his fists visibly curled on the table. Peter glanced back and forth between the two and stayed put, looking down. Flash smiled at Tony and spun the ball in his hands, "Look, Anthony, you want to get popular in this school, or even get looked at? You stay away from nerds like Parker. Or, you make them stay away from you."

He roughly bounced the ball off Peter's shoulder and that's when Tony got to his feet. "Don't touch him."

"Wow Pete, you finally found someone to stick up for you?" Flash teases, messing up Peter's hair. 

Tony surged forward and stepped in front of Peter protectively, which made Flash step back as he snarled, "And don't call him Pete. Man, you are just screwing up on so many levels today. You get one more get out of jail free card and then I'm gonna have to make a big fool of you in front of all your little friends."

"You don't want to do that man," Flash grins, spinning the basketball cockily. 

Tony's glare doesn't leave Flash's eyes and he nods firmly, sprouting a cocky grin, "Yeah, I really do." He knocks the ball out of Flash's hands and it goes bouncing away under lunch tables. "Don't mess with him, you hear me?" 

Flash snickers, "How much did he pay you, actually, I want to know."

By now there's a crowd forming, Peter watching tensely from his spot, Ned's jaw dropped next to him. 

"Go sit down," Tony snarls through gritted teeth, pointing to Flash's friends who are watching in both confusion and awe. "Look, they're waiting. Those poor people actually want to talk to you, unlike me, who just wishes you would get out of my face."

"You're making a huge mistake Anthony," Flash hisses, puffing out his chest in defense. 

"Flash...is that even your name? I doubt it, but if by some God awful reason that actually is your real name, your parents must have hated you. Or maybe they do, and that's why you prey on kids who make you realize your cave man level intelligence. Is it to make yourself feel bigger? Is that what it is?" Tony asks, pressing the bully with narrowed eyes and a confident smirk. "Oh, I bet your dad got you into this school, didn't he?"

Flash, who had a few inches on Tony, steps up and raises his eyebrows, trying not to show the damage Tony's words are doing. "All of this for puny Parker?"

Tony holds his own, lifting his chin and planting a finger into the center of Flash's chest. "For future reference, you don't look at him, you don't touch him, you don't even think about him anymore, do you understand me?" Tony swears, backing Flash up into his own table. When the bully doesn't answer Tony asks it again, louder, "Do I made myself-"

"Crystal," Flash spits. 

Tony nods and steps back, straightening Flash's jacket and winking, "Good, I'm glad." 

They part ways and slip into their respective tables, Tony already shaking a ketchup packet and smearing it on his burger. Everyone's eyes are on him and Tony looks up and grins, "Take a picture, it will last longer."

A couple people whistle or clap until the normal chatter resumes and the cafe noise is back to normal, except for Flash's glares to Tony and Peter every couple of seconds. Tony looks up at Peter who is staring at him. He takes a bite of his burger and speaks with his mouth full, "What?"

"You didn't have to do that," Peter grumbles angrily. 

"You're right, next time, you wipe the floor with him and I'll be the one who sits back and watches," Tony nods sarcastically. 

"I'm serious," Peter insists. 

"So am I, Pete," Tony said, putting his cheeseburger down. "Why don't you stick up for yourself, huh?"

"Oh, what, like you did? Fixing all my problems for me?" Peter demanded. "You've always got to be the hero, don't you? You can't help it!"

Tony shakes his head, "I saw what he was doing in chem, and then what, he's hitting you with basketballs and you let him? That's so not you."

Peter slams his book, "You're right, it's not me. It's the old me, before I was Spiderman. I guess old habits die hard, huh? Some things don't change, but you don't get that because you're not afraid, you're out there, you've always been the center of attention." Peter's fuming and he shakes his head, laughing to himself, "Why am I even trying to explain? It's not like you'll get it." He grabs his bag, shooting a look at him, "I'm going to the library. You can walk with Ned to our history class."

"See this is why I didn't want to come," Tony sighed in annoyance. 

Peter snorted, his eyes flashing, "Yeah? Well, I shouldn't have brought you in the first place."

Tony rolls his eyes, "Real mature Pete."

"That's rich, coming from a twelve year old!" Peter splutters in anger. 

Tony shoots him a look and he blinks, "You done?"

"Yeah," Peter sneers, tossing his bag over his shoulder. "I'm done."

"Peter," Tony sighed but the kid was already up, grabbing his backpack and storming out of the cafe. He decided not to follow; the kid needed his space. Tony shook his head and took a bite of the cheeseburger which tasted like cardboard and he made a face, looking up at Ned and pointing at the food, "I'm buying this school a new meal plan."

Ned laughed, "Good luck with that." Then he burst, waving his hands excitedly, "So disregarding that whole family thing that just happened...you know about Spiderman too?"

Tony looked up and nodded, "Uh, yeah. I think I was the first one who knew."

Ned blinked and chuckled, looking slightly offended, "Sorry buddy, but I'm pretty sure _I_ was. Well maybe except Tony Stark, I think he knew first since he made Peter his suit."

Tony smirked at that, "Oh, ok, my mistake." Then he looked up and asked slowly, "Tony Stark...does Peter talk about him much?"

Ned snorts, "Are you kidding? Peter idolizes that guy. He's always trying to make him proud." Tony looks down to hide his smile as Ned continues, his tone sobering, "You know after his uncle died, Peter really didn't have a father figure, so I'd like to think Mr. Stark has kind of become that for him." Then he snorts and smooths his shirt with a cocky smirk, "I mean, he's no guy in the chair, that's for sure."

Tony raises an eyebrow, asking slowly, "Guy- guy in the chair?"

"Me. I'm the guy in the chair. You know the dude who sits in a swivel chair and has a bunch of screens around him and tells Spiderman where to go because he's his guy in the chair?" Ned says confidently. 

"Oh, of course, guy in the chair," Tony lies, giving Ned a thumbs up. 

Ned smiled cheerfully before he nodded, "It's cool, right? You're an FOS now, friend of Spiderman. I'm thinking of making a club, of course, not like a real school club- that would be stupid since it's a secret and all but something for all the FOS's- even though it's just me, and now you-"

Tony stopped chewing and shook his head, "Yeah, never call me that again."

Just then MJ walked up, sighing and flopping down where Peter used to sit, pushing hair out of her face, "Sorry I'm late. Hi Anthony. I had to debate my teacher on how the murder of-" she looked around in confusion, "Where's Peter?" 

"He left," Tony said simply, spitting out his next bite of the cheeseburger. He pushed aside his tray in disgust, unable to eat anymore and ran a hand through his black hair. "Went to the library."

"Oh..." MJ picked up her bag that she set down and looked toward the door, "I- I'm gonna see if he needs anything. I need to study anyway. I'll catch up with you guys later."

She hurried back out the way she came and Ned grinned, "We've got ten minutes till the bell. Plenty of time to talk."

Tony fakes a smile, "Great."

Peter's sitting at the other end of the library, reading a book. Well it wasn't exactly reading...more like skimming a page and then forgetting it and having to go back and read it again. He was also thinking of how bad he wanted Tony back to normal. It was harder than he thought and he didn't know how much more of it he could take. 

Suddenly a hand hits his knee and Peter sighs without glancing up, "Tony, seriously, just-"

"Guess again dork," MJ smirks, yanking his leg off the bench so she can take a seat next to him.

He straightens, closing his book and grinning, "Oh, hey, hey. What are you- what are you doing here?"

"Came to see if you were dying or anything traumatic like that," she raised an eyebrow. "Anthony said you stormed off. Is that who you thought I was? You said Tony-"

"Yeah, I call him that sometimes," Peter gave her a small smile. "He just pissed me off, that's all. Some stupid reasons. Family thing. It's fine, you didn't have to skip lunch or anything-"

"Well I've got some studying to do as well and I figured, if Anthony did piss you off, let him sit with Ned for ten minutes, that should be fun, right?"

Peter looks down and grins, "Right."

MJ smiles before shrugging, "So you and him...close?"

"Yeah," Peter nods with a smirk. "Yeah, really close."

"Then how come I haven't heard of him?" MJ asks.

"Because- well- because he lives in Canada. So...far away," Peter nods firmly, hoping MJ would buy the lie. 

"Oh. You just saying that, or is that the truth?" MJ asks, cocking her head. Peter freezes, looking at her confusion and panic until she breaks into a grin, "I'm just kidding, I don't care. Just...the way you guys were acting this morning was total opposite of what's happening now."

Peter nods, giving a light shrug, "We just...get on each other's nerves sometimes...and need a break. He's also not himself today? So that has an impact on the whole thing," Peter trails off, laughing at the intentional irony he had slipped in. 

"Yeah," MJ nods. "I-I get that. Well if he pisses you off anymore, let me know. I'll have your back." She smiles shyly. 

He makes eye contact and smiles, "You know, MJ, I was just- off the top of my head- I was wondering-" Suddenly his phone rings and he sighs, looking up and wincing. "Hold that thought." He yanks it out of his pocket and sees it's Ned. With a groan he answers, "What?"

_"Peter, you better get down here. Downstairs arts hallway. Hurry."_

"What, what's wrong?"

_"Just- hurry up, ok?"_

Peter curses and shoves his phone back into his pocket before grabbing his bag, already jogging backwards, "I gotta go. Something happened."

MJ jumps up and sprints after him out of the library. They run down the hall and Peter skids around the corner. He can already hear the commotion. He curses again and bumps past a person, pushing them aside as he sprints faster down the hall, slamming into the lockers as he rounds the next turn. Peter skids to a stop at the top of the steps, looking down into a growing mob, circled around a group of five boys, four against one, all fighting in the center. 

"For the Love of God-" Peter swears, dropping his bag and sliding down the railing. All he cares about is the one doing the punching is Flash and the one _getting_ punched while held down by three of the bully's friends, is Tony.

"Peter, wait!" MJ yells, grabbing his bag and keeping it from spilling down the steps, but he doesn't hear her.

Peter plunges through the crowd, shoving past people to get to the middle. It takes him a second but he breaks through and he tackles the nearest person who was about to take his shot to Tony's face. Peter stands, grabbing the collar of the one boy holding Tony's arms and he yanks him off, slamming him into the wall. Peter pushes the other kid backwards and goes after him.

One of the boys lunges past him for Tony, who sidesteps, twisting his arm and kicking the back of his leg. He's suddenly tackled around the waist by Flash and Peter snarls, his chest heating up in defensiveness. He starts forward before he's forced to duck; one of the bully's friends is up and swinging.

Having to take care of him first, Peter elbows him in the stomach and avoids another punch, knocking him into the floor. Peter's feels a hand grab his collar and he twists, kicking off the ground, making the dude lose his balance. They both fall and Peter rolls away only to be yanked up, but this time it's Tony who grabs his arm and pulls him to his feet, stepping in front of him in case there are any more punches thrown. 

Peter looks and sees Tony's previous opponent, Flash, in the corner, holding his ribs as he leans against the wall, breathing hard with murder in his eyes. Tony winks before splitting off again. Grinning, Peter blocks a punch, pushing a dude into the wall. Spider senses tingling, he moves his head back and a fist skims his nose. Then he tosses an elbow back while Flash's friend is off balance before he tightens his stomach, taking a punch and grabbing the kid's jacket. Pulling him forward, he knees the kid in the groin and tosses him backward. 

About to go help Tony, Peter allows his focus to split for one second, and that's when he's hit around the waist by Flash, getting slammed into the wall. Peter groans before he's thrown aside and he hits the ground, his head smacking against the floor.

"You're dead Parker." Flash storms forward and Peter hears Tony's yell as he blinks white spots out of his vision, concentrating all of his energy into not firing his webs and ending the fight. He gets kicked in the side and Peter curls his hands into fists, coughing out a cry of pain.

Flash pulls back his leg again to land another kick while Peter is down but he's suddenly tackled by Tony who came out of nowhere to knock him down before he could get another hit to Peter's side. Peter jumps to his feet and braces, grabbing the nearest kid's jackets and starting to wrestle. Tony's locked in a struggle with Flash on the landing of the steps-

"BREAK IT UP! BREAK IT UP! NOW!"

A couple teachers break through the mob and start to yank the boys apart. Tony lets Flash out of the headlock and stands, dropping his fists with a loud sigh, obeying the command, and that's when Flash takes a cheap shot, catching him across the temple. Tony's taken off guard and he stumbles, Peter snarling and breaking the grip of the teacher holding him. With a surge of protectiveness he storms forward and furiously cuts in front of Tony, pushing Flash hard in the chest. The bully slides across the ground and Peter stands over him, nostrils flaring in anger. Flash didn't get up.

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" one of the teacher yells, but he doesn't dare put a hand on Peter.

Tony, who's got another cut, this one on his eyebrow now, is the one who grabs Peter's sweatshirt with both hands and hauls him back with a firm grip, giving him a harsh look. Peter's breathing hard, gripping Tony's arms to keep himself from lunging forward again. 

"Pete, I'm good," Tony assures him, patting him on the chest. "You good? You got a little roughed up there-"

They both freeze as the Vice Principal breaks through the mob of kids and takes in the scene. He glares at Peter and Tony and points, "Both of you. Office. Now."

Peter looks like he could tackle the Vice Principal himself and Tony gives the man a fake smile and nod, gripping Peter around the shoulder and steering him away, still fisting his jacket in his hand. Peter lets Tony lead him through the dispersing crowd in the direction of the front office while he calms down, shrugging off Tony's protective hold. Once they're out of the crowd though, and around the corner, they have a hand on each other's back, a small act of support as they wipe blood from their faces.

Five minutes later, Peter and Tony sit slumped in the two chairs in the office, hands clasped, forearms resting on their knees. They sit in silence for a couple minutes, exchanging glances every so often. 

"You got some nice punches in there kid," Tony admits. "I saw you trying to pull those hits...they weren't criminals. Just idiots. And you wiped the floor with them."

Peter flexes his hand, looking at his bloodied knuckles before raises an eyebrow, "Yeah, thanks."

"You didn't have to do that you know," Tony said slowly. 

Peter sighed, pressing his sleeve against his split lip, "Yes I did, idiot. I wasn't about to witness a massacre. I heal, you don't. And I got you into that mess in the first place."

"Well you don't need to fight my battles for me," Tony said and Peter gave him an incredulous look. He sighs and nods, "Okay, call me a hypocrite."

"Hypocrite," Peter says firmly.

Tony looks sideways at him, "I didn't mean literally."

Peter smirks, "Watch your words."

Tony looks down smiles before he scratches the back of his head and glances over at him, "I'm not saying sorry for stepping in and taking care of that little brat who hit you with a basketball. But I am saying sorry for stepping in and taking care of that little brat who hit you with a basketball."

Peter's lip curled and he nodded; somehow that made sense, "Thanks. And I'm not saying sorry for jumping into the fight and saving you from having your butt handed to you."

Tony blinked, waiting for the next line, "But?"

Peter grinned, shaking his head innocently, "No, that's it. I'm not apologizing at all. You are my younger cousin after all."

"You‘re annoying," Tony laughed, shaking his head. "I guess that's fair. But I can't believe you talked me into this. If you had told me yesterday I would be fourteen years old, sitting in the principal's office with you, I would have thought you were crazy."

"So you admit you're fourteen," Peter nodded, a smirk growing on his lips.

"Sixteen," Tony corrected.

"Oh, so you're just short," Peter hooted with laughter.

"I swear to God!" Tony swore angrily, his voice choosing to crack which only made Peter laugh harder. "Laugh it up kid, we're having a serious talk when I change back, you hear me?"

Peter tries to stop laughing, "I hear ya, I hear ya. But at least your voice won't be cracking so I can at least take you seriously."

Tony stared at him in disbelief, scoffing and crossing his arms, sinking into the chair. "I take it this is not a normal day at school for you?"

Peter grins, shaking his head, "No. No. I only get into fights when you're here."

Tony laughs, "Good to know." Then he looks over, "But you do...like school, right? You like it here?"

There's hesitation. Peter sighs, crossing his arms, "Yeah, I mean, sometimes I wish I could just skip it and go to college, like you did. I want a job, I want to work and help May pay the bills. I want to build stuff, do stuff, ya know? It's...boring here. I got better things to do."

Tony nods, "I get that, but...trust me on this one kid, and I mean really, trust me. Make the most of your time here. I didn't really...get a high school experience. Or college. It was all rushed, and I was constantly stressed, over worked, tired..." he rubs a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wish I could go back and smell the roses because I do miss it. But you don't have to make that same mistake I did. I don't want you to. So just enjoy it while you can, ok? Don't," he pauses. "Don't grow up too fast."

Peter gave him a small smile and Tony sighed, waving his hand, "Ok, joke, here it comes."

"I think you meant for that to be really sentimental, which it would have been, if you were forty seven," Peter winces. 

"But I'm sixteen," Tony sighs again, running a hand over his face with a small grin. "Right."

"But you're sixteen," Peter agrees with a chuckle. Then he looks over, "But Tony...seriously, thanks. I am ahead of myself sometimes. And I need to take a breath and take it one step at a time, you know?"

"Yeah, but speaking of time, before we turn this principal office into a counseling room, when is this dude gonna show up?" Tony sighed, looking at the clock. "You need some more time with MJ."

Peter shook his head, "Nu uh. No. Do not go trying to set me up with her."

Tony looked over and raised an eyebrow, "You like her don't you?"

Peter blushed, "Shut up."

"Knew it," Tony grinned, before putting his feet up on the coin table in front of them.

"Shut up," Peter directed again, more firmly, before he kicked Tony's leg, "and get your feet off the table. Principal Morita is nice but the Vice is an absolute jerk."

Tony glanced at Peter and crossed his feet over one another just to prove his point that he wasn't going to move him, grinning cockily, "What's he gonna do? Suspend me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a Tony thing to say *happy sigh* I am honestly in love with this fic good Lord  
> Ok, so I've got a goooood handful of ideas planned out and a twist ending which is gonna be one last tug at the heartstrings just FYI because yes my fics always have to have some angst. No one is dying tho, don't worry. I would have put that in the tags. Why am I using periods? It's rly late rn haha and I am tired. Anyway!!! A lot of ideas coming up that I am very very very excited to write which means if people looked at the notes section of my phone they would probably be very confused. But in the comments!!! Please tell me what you thought, I love feedback and comments are the absolute best- you guys all rock <3 but also ideas!!!! funny ideas!!! crazy ideas, throw them out, just random stuff please, if it works, I will include it! As for next chapter....the cat is out of the bag for two people- not on purpose. Not telling who, you're gonna have to wait and seeeeee  
> Stay tuned and stay healthy all you awesome people!  
> I love you 3000


	4. When It Became Relevant....Which Is Just Did

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers!!!!  
> The next chapter is hereeeee and I really hope you like it! 2 people find out in this one because I guess the boys are just telling everyone today haha. This story is a blast to write lol  
> I hope everyone is staying safe healthy and sane in this crazy time! Thank you so much for reading and supporting, I am so glad yall are liking this story, your comments are the best! Hope this makes your day a little better, enjoy the chapter awesome people!

"I can't believe you forgot the notes," Peter hissed as they ran up the steps of his apartment building. "You better hope May isn't home."

"Well excuse me, I've got a lot on my mind. They were on _your_ desk!" Tony protested.

"It was my room! Of course it was on _my_ desk! But you what else they were? _Your_ responsibility," Peter shot back as they jogged down the hall, stopping by the door to his apartment. Peter turned the key and poked his head in, looking around and calling, "May?" He waited and when there was no answer, he and Tony slipped through the door, closing and locking it behind them.

"Ok, get your crap, I'm going to the bathroom," Peter sighed, walking down the opposite hall. 

Tony rolled his eyes and went into Peter's room to grab the stack of paper on the desk. He turned and shoved them in his backpack before grabbing the bag of Doritos as he walked out. Munching on a handful of chips, he rolled them up and put them on the kitchen table before sinking down onto the couch. Tony flicked through his phone, looking at the missed texts from Pepper- nothing urgent, just sweet gestures and wishes of luck.

A door opened and Tony didn't look up, "About time. Let's go-" He got to his feet and looked up and saw May in the doorway, a shocked expression on her face. 

"Who are you?" she demanded. 

"Uh- I-" Tony blinked. 

"What are you doing in my house?" she said furiously.

"I'm friends with Peter-" Tony started.

"Peter isn't home right now. He's at a club at school on Fridays, so how did you get in?! Did you break in?" May stormed forward and Tony yelped, sprinting into the kitchen.

"No, I can explain!" Tony yelled. 

"Than explain, mister! What are you doing in my house?"

"I didn't break in- I used a key!" Tony yelled, sprinting into the kitchen. With a gasp, May grabbed a plastic tupperware and threw it at him. It hit him in the head and he scowled, rubbing the forming bump, "MAY!"

"How do you know my name?" she demanded. "What do you mean you have a key you sick-"

Tony grabbed the nearest pan and deflected the next two containers thrown at him before someone else skidded into the room. Tony lunged for him, hiding behind Peter who waved his hands and yelled, "MAY, STOP!"

"Honey, what are you doing here?" she said, lowering her arm. "You're supposed to be at school- did he kidnap you? What happened to your faces? Did this little-"

"No, he didn't kidnap me," Peter said quickly, putting his arm out to shield Tony as she raised another plastic bin. "We needed to get back to the compound, but had to grab some notes for the machine because _Tony_ forgot them, so we stopped by here first."

"We had a little...accident in the lab," Tony winced, peeking out from behind Peter's shoulder. 

" _You_ had a little accident in the lab," Peter corrected, turning around and snorting. "I wasn't there."

Tony slapped his hands against his sides and gave him an incredulous stare, "Are you kidding me right now? Are you kidding me? A little support would be nice, kid."

"I'm just saying," Peter put up his hands in surrender. 

"Tony?" May spluttered, snapping to bring both of their heads swiveling back to her. "Tony who?"

"Stark," both teenagers sighed, looking sideways at one another. 

May blinked, pointing at Tony, "This is Tony? Tony Stark?"

Tony smiled slowly, "Ta da." Peter elbowed him the ribs. "Ow," he muttered before looking up guiltily, "Yeah, it's me."

"Why didn't you just say that then?" she demanded. 

"Because you were throwing plastic tupperwares at me, May! I was a little preoccupied!" Tony spluttered.

Peter snorted, "You're lucky she didn't get her baseball bat." Tony gave him a look and Peter grinned, "Then you would have been really screwed."

"Hold on, you expect me to believe all this? That...that _kid_ , is Tony Stark?" May puts her hands on her hips and glares at the two of them. "I mean, how is it even possible?"

"It's kind of a long story..." Peter said slowly.

"We've got all day, Pete." She crossed her arms. "I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me what the heck is going on here," May said firmly. 

"Time travel," Peter sighs. "Tony messed it up."

"No, no, no- there's a difference. _It_ messed _me_ up," Tony protested with a grumble. 

"Clearly," Peter snorted. 

"Time travel," May repeated, looking at Peter pointedly, "And when were you going to tell me you were attempting something like that?"

"When it became relevant?" Peter guessed slowly, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Which...it just did?" Tony gives him a subtle shake of his head and makes a face, signaling that was not the right answer. May's nostrils flared and now it was Peter's turn to step back behind Tony, who paled. He would take a bullet for this kid, but standing in the direct path of an angry Aunt May...that was a different story. Peter's grip tightened on his arm and he whispered, "Say something."

"You say something! I mean, she's not wrong, we didn't tell anyone. I just didn't think of it as a big deal," he said quietly over his shoulder. 

"Neither did I!" Peter spluttered, "but May and Pepper sure do! She can probably hear us by the way."

"Yeah, no crap kid," Tony made a face. 

"I can hear conversations two feet in front of me," May said with a small smirk. "So...Tony...a little on the young side, are we? Sixteen? Fifteen? Fourteen..." May cocked her head, her gaze switching to Peter and Tony saw him pointing lower with each number she guessed. 

Tony turned around and Peter cut the act, grinning innocently. "Sixteen," Tony said to May while glaring at Peter. 

"Oh, ok," May laughed, sitting down in the nearest seat by the table and running a hand through her brown hair. "Well, this is fascinating."

"It honestly is," Peter grinned, nodding vigorously. "It's the EPR paradox." May blinked and looked at the both of them in confusion.

"The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox," Tony added helpfully.

"Thank you, I get it now," May said sarcastically. Tony gave her a fake smile. 

Peter didn't catch any of this; he was still rambling, "He got the time machine to work, but got a little dose of quantum entanglement. Instead of pushing Tony through time, it pushed time through him which-"

May put up a hand and smiled at Peter with sympathy, "Sweetie, I love that this makes you guys happy-"

"Happy?" Tony snorted, "Do I look like I'm happy? No, this sucks."

"-but I honestly don't get a single thing you're saying. So let's simplify it, and correct me as I go here. You guys were working on time travel, Tony screwed up in the lab and turned himself into a fourteen year old and now you're trying to change him back. Did I get it all?"

Peter laughed, "Yeah! I guess it wasn't that hard to-" Tony stepped on his foot in annoyance. "Ow! Yeah, that's it," he grumbled. 

"And when were you planning on telling me this?" she asked Tony with a raised eyebrow. "After all, you are the adult in this situation?"

Tony blinked and looked at Peter for help but the kid was too busy trying not to laugh, a smile tugging at his lips. Tony looked back at May and winced, "Uh...when it became relevant? Which it...just did?" It was Peter's turn to violently shake his head and signal that was the wrong thing to say. "Thanks for your help," Tony hissed at him. 

Peter gave him a thumbs up, "Anytime."

"You two are giving me a headache." May pressed her hands against her temples and sighed, "Ok, well did you find a way to...change him back?" She looks at Tony and frowns, "It's weird seeing you as a...teenager. It will take me a while to get used to it."

Peter shakes his head, "You can't get used to it. I still haven't."

"Well hopefully," Tony sighs in annoyance, "we can change me back so you guys don't have to 'get used to it', okay? That's the plan. We have a plan, we just need to get to the compound, fix the machine, build a device and then I have to go through the machine again."

"That sounds a lot easier than I think it's going to be," she says slowly. 

"I'm hoping it is that easy," Tony says weakly as he and Peter begin to back away, turning around and starting for the door to freedom.

They both wince and stop as May calls them back. "Hey! Nu uh. Both of you. Back in the kitchen. I didn't say you could go," she crosses her arms and then points once they get close enough. "What happened to your faces?"

"Fell down the steps?" Peter lied with a questioning tone as they turned around in sync. 

"Peter punched me," Tony lied straight faced, earning a slap to his shoulder. 

"I did not punch him," Peter grumbles to May before rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Just some boys at school."

"Who started it?" May asked firmly. Both Tony and Peter raised their hands slowly. Her brow knit in confusion and she rubbed her head, giving a loud sigh as she waved her hand, "Someone give me a quick recap. Go."

Tony was about to open his mouth but Peter beat him to it. "That kid, Flash, he's been bothering me for a while. I didn't want to tell you because I was handling it. But I was handling it by not doing anything. I thought he would just stop. But he hasn't stopped, for a while now. And today, Tony noticed and stood up for me, and I got mad at him for it, which I shouldn't have," Peter looked sideways at him, "because I know he was just doing his job." Tony gave him a small smile.

"So you got into a fight, Peter?" May finished in confusion. 

Tony winced, "No. No, that was my bad. See, Flash and his buddies came after me. I think he was kind of mad at me for humiliating him in front of the whole cafeteria?"

"That was pretty awesome," Peter admitted. 

"Right?" Tony grinned, waving his hand to get back on track. "So the dudes cornered me. I told him sorry..." Peter blinked and Tony smirked, "I believe the words I used were 'sorry little girl, did I hurt your feelings'. Then he threw a punch."

"Nice," Peter grinned, before looking at May's face. He cleared his throat. "Not nice."

"And Peter, you got involved?" May asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"It was four against one, May!" Tony spluttered. "As much as it wounds my ego to admit it, I was getting my butt handed to me. There was a second when I was going to call a suit and stun them all, but I decided against it, like the responsible adult I am."

"Responsible- okay." May crossed her arms and looked at him in confusion, "Yeah...good thing you didn't."

"Right," Tony agreed. "And that's when Peter stepped in to help, which...I got mad at him for, but I shouldn't have," he said slowly, looking at Peter with a proud smile. "He was just doing his job."

May looked back and forth between the two and blinked, "Well, did you win at least?"

"Darn right," Tony snickered before cutting his smile and looking down. "Yes."

"Good," May said. Peter and Tony both looked up with grins. Then she waved her arms, cutting her smirk and returning to seriousness. "And what was the punishment for the two of you? Don't lie to me, I know there was one."

Peter grinned, "I got five days detention."

"Don't be proud of that," May said firmly.

Peter nodded and looked down, killing his smile, "Ok."

May turned to you, "And what about you?"

Tony wiggled his eyebrows, "I got suspended. And I wasn't even in the school system!" 

May made a face at him, "Don't be proud of that either."

Tony nodded and his face went slack as he looked at his feet, "Ok." 

"Why such a big difference in punishments?" May asked slowly. 

Tony looked sideways at Peter and winced. "I might have said some other things that grown up me is used to saying, which didn't translate well in my...current situation," he said slowly. 

May fought a smile and looked at the two of them. She sighed at Tony, "You, I can't get too mad at. But you Peter-"

"Now May," Tony protested, ready to defend the kid. 

"Ah," May put up a hand and Tony fell backward on his heels, recoiling his hand and looking away, scratching his head with the hand he had raised a second earlier. She blinked, "Good Lord, how old are you?"

Tony paused before asking, "You mean like...in real life? Or right now? Because we don't know-"

"Never mind. Just know, Tony, that this is the perfect age for you," she drawled, shaking her head and walking over to the kitchen. Then she looked at her nephew and Peter glanced up guiltily. "Don't make five days of detention a regular thing, ok Pete?" she smiled slowly. "But I'm glad you got a punch in."

"Oh, I won't," Peter nodded violently. "And oh yeah, more than a punch-"

"Anyway," Tony said before Peter got in more trouble. May waited for what he had to say and Tony shook his head, "Nothing."

"Uh huh." She stopped in front of the coffee pot and pointed, "Who the heck made this? It better have been you, Tony."

"Guilty," Tony said quickly, winking at Peter who smirked, trying to kill his smile before May noticed. 

"Ok," May poured herself a cup and decided not to use creamer because apparently she needed the straight caffeine. "Well this is not what I expected to go through today. You two, go back to the compound and figure this thing out. I don't have a problem- well I have a problem with a lot of this, but Peter, if it doesn't affect your grades or get you in trouble with the law of any sort...I don't really have any other choice than to be okay with it."

Peter pumped his fist, "Yes! Thanks May, okay, we're going and we'll be back late or I'll just drive to school from there!" He ran for his backpack which he left in the hall.

"I have another shift tonight so if you come back late, I won't be here ok? Just text me!" May called after him. 

"Ok!" Peter yelled back and Tony started to walk out of the kitchen. 

"Tony," May said slowly and he turned around at her sobering tone. She gave him a small smile and laughed lightly, "I know you're...younger than him now, but still...take care of him?"

"Ok, Tony, let's go-" Peter said, sliding into the kitchen too fast. He would have been sprawled on the floor if it hadn't been for Tony who snagged the back of his shirt at the last second, hauling him upright. Peter clasped his arm and patted it thankfully before shoving on his shoes.

Tony nodded to May with a small smile as he backed into the hall, "Always do." He and Peter as they slipped out the door and ran for the steps. 

"I want to drive," Tony said, grabbing the keys from Peter as they raced down the stairs.

"You're not driving," Peter webbed keys back and shoved them in his pocket. "What if you get pulled over?"

"I'll drive safe."

"Absolutely not."

"I haven't driven in so long Peter, it's killing me. Come on!" Tony pleaded.

Peter scoffed, shaking his head in amazement, "It's been a day. Not even a day, actually."

"I want to drive!"

"You're not driving!"

"So Peter's letting you drive Tony's car, huh? Does Stark know about this?" Gerald asked with a grin. 

Peter was in the passenger's seat with his hand on the bridge of his nose and he looked up with a wince, "Yeah, he actually suggested it, believe it or not. I was fully against it, but what do you know? Tony always gets his way." He elbowed Tony in the ribs who made an audible yelp that he turned into an awkward laugh.

"Is he a backseat driver?" Gerald asked Tony, motioning to Peter.

"Oh, 100 percent, yeah," Tony said, glaring at Peter who was shaking his head, his hands against his temples like he had a migraine.

"Being concerned for my life is not being a backseat driver," Peter snapped.

"I'm pretty sure that qualifies," Tony says, making a face at Gerald who waved them along. They passed through the gate and Tony grinned, looking over at Peter and punching him in the arm. "See? We didn't die! You need to lighten up a little bit, Pete." He turned on the radio, blasting Back in Black from the speakers as they drove along the curves. 

Peter rubbed his head, "Ok, fine. Only because I do like Led Zeplin."

"Led Zep-" Tony's head shot over, his eyes wide. "You are not my kid if you think this is Led Zeplin."

Peter made a face, "I could have sworn it was."

"Well I'm telling you it's not!" Tony spluttered, "It's only one of the greatest rock bands in history!" Tony looks over incredulously after a second of silence and chokes on the silence. "Take your time, Peter."

"I'm thinking!" Peter protests. 

"Oh my _God_!" Tony gasps, looking over at him. "Are you kidding me?" Peter reaches for the wheel that Tony's hands have slipped off of and he slaps them away, "Get off."

"You're not looking where you're going!" Peter splutters, pointing at the road. 

"I am too!" Tony snaps. "It's AC/DC!"

Peter looks at him blankly, "What's AC/DC?"

Tony looks over, " _My favorite color_ , Peter- the band!"

"Oh."

Tony shakes his head, "I'm disowning you." Peter smirks. 

They get into the compound just fine, but it's avoiding people which is the real problem. They're fine in the lobby, since they both look like they would belong there, and Peter has access to almost the entire base, so everyone knows and trusts him. The issue will be when they get to the labs on the other wing and the upper levels, where the Avengers live. 

"Ok, so who's here that you know of?" Peter whispers to Tony as they walk up the steps and get in the elevator. 

"Rhodey and Steve. The others we don't have to worry about for another day or two. But Natasha and Clint...I have no idea when they're getting back," Tony shook his head. 

"Ok," Peter nods. "And we're keeping this a secret as long as possible, right? That's the plan?" he confirms. 

"That's the plan," Tony nods. 

"The trick is to act normal, ok?" Peter said, turning to Tony. "No freezing up. Remember your my younger cousin from Canada, named Anthony. Hey, why did you say Robert the first time?" he asks suddenly.

"You're really asking me that...now? I don't know kid, it's a cool name. Robert," Tony grins.

Peter rolls his eyes, "Whatever. Stick to the story we gave Happy, we have to keep it the same. Then we'll just say my cousin left after we turn you back. No harm, no foul. But you really gotta try and not give it away, ok? Try and not act like yourself because unfortunately the people here know you the best. So...if you slip up, like even the tiniest bit, they will most likely figure it out."

Tony blinks and claps Peter on the shoulder sarcastically, "That's for the pep talk kid. I'm inspired."

The elevator doors open and Peter rolls his eyes with a laugh, walking forward, "Come on."

"No, really, I feel like I can do anything," Tony calls after him, following him into the lab. Peter shut the doors behind them and slid the nearest 3D screen over so he could tint the surrounding windows. Tony rubbed his hands, "Alright FRIDAY. You miss me, sweetheart?"

_"Most definitely."_

Tony paused, "Can't tell if that's sarcasm or you were being serious, so I'm going to ignore that and move on. Peter?" He turned around and saw Peter crouched by the time machine, poking around with his screw driver. Tony's heart stopped. "Peter, get away from it."

Peter looked up and scoffed, "It's not gonna explode or anything." He poked it with the screwdriver again before tapping his foot against the siding. Tony crossed the room in a few strides, putting a hand on the kid's shoulder and backing him up until he was a safe distance away. "Tony, what the heck?" Peter demanded. 

"I don't want you going near that thing!" Tony said firmly. 

Peter shoved him off and gave him a pointed look, "You're kidding me, right?"

"No! No, I'm not kidding," Tony said angrily, gesturing wildly behind him. "That machine sucked me in and thank God it spat me out. But what if it screws up again, and does it to someone else but this time they don't just come back out, huh? You're not getting anywhere near that thing, I don't want to hear it."

Peter sighed, "Look, you're super sweet and all, wanting to protect me-"

"Don't give me that crap, Parker," Tony shook his head. "We have no idea what quantum energy can do. You know that!"

"I could never agree with you more, which is why we're going to be safe about this, but not afraid of it." He raised his eyebrows and spread his hands, "We can't fix it ten feet away and you can't fix it alone. We are doing this together and if we both get pulled in, we both get pulled in," Peter said carelessly with a shrug. "But I'm not gonna sit here and let you treat me like a kid when you haven't even hit puberty yet."

Tony steps back, making a face. "Low blow-"

"Shut up," Peter said angrily. "And more importantly, I am definitely not gonna sit back and watch you die because you're trying to be stupid and protect me. I'm older than you now, so according to your stupid rule that you always hold over me, that makes me in charge."

Tony scoffed, crossing his arms, "You've got to be kidding."

"Tell me to my face that you've never claimed to be in charge for the sole reason being you're older?" Peter raised an eyebrow. 

Tony blinked and shifted his footing uncomfortably, "Yeah...well...I take back every single time I've ever said that. And also? This situation," Tony waved his arms around with raised eyebrows, "doesn't count. I'm old, ok? I'm an old man. I win."

"Whatever," Peter shoots him a look. "Let's just fix this thing so we can get home."

"Yeah, first things first, I need an Asprin," Tony said, rubbing his head, starting for the steps. 

"No, no, no- are you crazy? You can't just go walking around!" Peter spluttered. 

"This is my house!" Tony exclaimed. 

"Have you forgotten how old you are?" Peter demanded. 

Tony sighed, "Crap." Then he looked up and grinned. "Please?"

Peter swore and turned around, opening the door and grumbling, "How many?"

"Two." 

"Fine," Peter rolled his eyes before giving Tony a look. "Just stay here. And don't work on anything else. I swear to God, I will actually kill you."

"Ok!" Tony puts up his hands. 

Peter shakes his head, "I'm serious, Tony. DUM-E, if he goes near that thing, fire extinguisher, got it?"

"What, you don't trust me?" Tony spluttered in shock. 

"No," Peter sneered as he walked out the door. 

Tony scoffed and watching him go down the tinted window. "No," he mocked in a high pitched voice. "You've got be kidding me." Then he looked sideways and put up a finger. "DUM-E, you douse me and I'm donating you to a city college, got it?" he warned, before slumping in the chair. 

About five minutes later, he sees someone come down the hallway and Tony blanches; it's not Peter. He races to lock the door but doesn't get there in time. Rhodes opens the door and Tony skids to a halt in the center of the room. 

Rhodey looks up and raises an eyebrow, "Uh, what are you- you look familiar. Have we met?"

"No," Tony shook his head violently. "No, I'm pretty sure we've never met-"

"Who are you?"

"Hi, uh, sir. I'm- I'm Peter's cousin. Anthony," Tony says slowly. Ok, be normal, don't be yourself. "You're...Rhodes, right? Oh my gosh. Can I- can I get your autograph?"

Rhodey nods slowly, "Yeah, sure, kid. But...are you even supposed to be in here? Does Tony know you're here? God, you look familiar."

Tony wrings his hands, "Yeah, Tony knows. He's cool with it. I can't think of a single reason...you've seen me before...Peter left to go get something and he told me to stay put and not touch anything."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Rhodey laughs, gesturing around. "Half of this stuff is worth more than you and me combined."

"All of it, actually," Tony grins, before he cuts his smile and points awkwardly before scratching his head with his hand to give it something to do. "I mean tech wise, just...looks expensive." 

"Yeah, it is," Rhodey agrees before motioning towards him. "I can't put my finger on it. I feel like I've seen you somewhere. You any good with tools like your cousin? Peter's pretty smart around here."

"Yeah," Tony smirks confidently. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." He picks up a wrench and starts spinning it on his finger self consciously. "Although I don't- get to- tinker around much since I live in...Canada. I live in Canada, in case you were wondering or wanted to fact check with...someone." Tony internally curses. 

"Oh, cool, where in Canada?" Rhodey asks politely. 

"Oh, you know, way up north. Like way up there," Tony chuckles quickly, not really skilled with geography in that region. 

"Peter never mentioned you, kid. I didn't even know you were coming," he admits, sitting down in the opposite chair across the room. 

Oh, you're staying, Tony thinks. He shrugs, still spinning the wrench. "Oh well that's because...our family had a massive split...huge fight- really it took a toll on my Aunt...July. Because May and then I guess they didn't like June and then July. Months."

Rhodey leans forward with a solemn nod, "I'm so sorry. Families can be tough. Are you okay with it all?"

Tony nods, "Yeah, it really has...no effect on my well being whatsoever." Then he looks up in panic and winces, "Except for when it does. By the way, War Machine is a lot cooler than Iron Patriot, just saying. I just wanted...to tell you."

Rhodey smiles, "You would agree with Tony then."

"He sounds smart," Tony grins. 

"Oh he is," Rhodey laughs with a shake of his head, "Smartest guy I know. Dumb as heck sometimes-"

"Hey," Tony said instinctively. Rhodey's head snaps up in confusion and Tony desperately backtracks, "Hey- I don't want to keep you. I'll just go back to sitting here and waiting for Peter if you want to go...do whatever you were doing before I interrupted your day." 

Rhodey shrugs, "Nah, it's quite ok, kid. I like the company, and I'm sure you want to hear about this crazy place." His gaze flicks to the time machine and he gets up, walking towards it and pointing. "I wish I could tell you what this thing is, but to be perfectly honest, I have no idea."

"NO, DON'T!" Tony yells and Rhodey jumps.

"Jeez, kid! What's your problem?" Rhodey exclaims.

"Uh- uh- Peter told me specifically not to touch that. I think it will explode with contact, or something. Also DUM-E will use the fire extinguisher on you, and trust me, it's not fun."

"You've been sprayed by DUM-E before?" Rhodey says suspiciously.

"That is totally not...what I just said," Tony laughed, sitting back down in his chair. "I just wouldn't go near that thing."

"Ok," Rhodey said slowly, backing away. "You ok kid? You look a little stressed."

"Why would I be stressed Rhodey?" Tony laughs. 

Rhodey raises an eyebrow, "I don't know, why are you calling me Rhodey? Who are you actually kid? You know, I almost bought the entire sob story, but now you're making it really hard for me."

Suddenly the door opens and Peter enters with a loud sigh, "Tony, I got your freaking- uh oh."

"Peter!" Tony glares at him. "Tell Rhodes about how I'm your cousin from Canada, from way north Canada, and our families got into an argument and how I'm good with tools please."

Peter blinks at Rhodey who is looking back and forth at the two of them, "Uh, Rhodey, this is my cousin from Canada, from way north Canada, and our families got into an argument and he's good with tools. What- what are you doing here?"

Rhodey crosses his arms as Peter jumps down the steps and walks over to Tony, "I could ask you the same question, Peter."

"Just showing Anthony the lab," Peter shrugged. 

"And does Tony know about this?" Rhodey asked slowly. 

"Yeah," Peter scoffed. "I'm not irresponsible. I texted him."

"You texted him," Rhodey repeated. "I thought he couldn't receive texts or calls?"

Tony elbowed Peter in the ribs and hissed, "Good going kid." Suddenly Tony's phone rings in his jean pocket and he yanks it out, Back in Black blasting from the speaker. He looks at the name and gulps, looking up slowly as he declines the call. Rhodey has his phone held out, the ringer audibly cut off. His face is stone and he turns to Peter who's grinning at Tony.

"AC/DC," he whispers, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Good job kid, now look out, Rhodes is gonna kill you," Tony says with a fake smile. 

Rhodey hangs up the call. "You better tell me what the heck is going on, right now. What did you do with Tony? Did something happen to him? Did he put you up to this?"

"We didn't do anything with Tony," Peter sighs, pointing at Tony. "That's Tony."

"PETER?" Tony splutters. 

Peter looks at him incredulously and rolls his eyes, "He was gonna figure it out eventually!" 

"Woah, woah, woah...that is Tony?" Rhodey points, his eyes wide. 

"Why don't you go tell everybody else too, Parker!" Tony snaps. "First May, now Rhodey- you're practically on a roll!"

"Funny it always happens when _I'm_ not around," Peter sniffs. "Who's the problem child? You. Literally."

"You watch it kid-" Tony swears angrily. 

"HEY!" Rhodey yells and Peter and Tony both look back at him. He points at Tony firmly, "You. Tell me something only Tony would know. Now. There's no way this is true."

Tony sighs, pressing a hand against the bridge of his nose, "Ok, ok, uhhhhh MIT sophomore year. I switched your presentation out with a prank one that I wrote personally for you and you had to go up in front of the whole class and read it," he said with a grin. "Took you seven weeks of extra work to bring your grade up from an F. If you want me to go into detail-"

"Ok, ok, ok, that's-" Rhodey glared at him before falling into his chair. "That's enough." He pressed a hand against his head, blinking at the two of them before he just groaned, "And that's why I recognize you. Alright...I can't believe I'm saying this. Just lay it out. Someone, please. God, what did you both do?"

"First off, I had absolutely nothing to do with this," Peter said firmly, waving his hand around Tony. "All him."

Tony slapped his hand down before he groaned, "Here we go again. I have to explain this mess for the second time today but I'm not even gonna begin to try until I get my Asprin." He turned to Peter and pleaded, "Please tell me you got it."

Peter dropped the two pills in his hand while shooting him a look. "Yeah, I got it, drama queen," he sneered. 

"Good, thank-" Tony stared at the medicine in his hand in shock, "What the heck are these?"

"They're Asprin," Peter grumbled, clearly on his last straw but Tony didn't care at the moment. "You said you wanted two," Peter grit his teeth. "I got you two."

"They're _low dosage_ Asprin, Peter. Does this look or feel like a low dosage Asprin type of situation right now?" Tony spluttered. "There is something very wrong with giving a grown man low dosage Asprin."

"Well good news, you're not a grown man," Peter said firmly. 

"But last time I checked I didn't turn into a twelve year old girl!" Tony hissed angrily. 

"You sure are acting like it!" Peter shot back. 

Tony gasped, "You brat!" 

Peter took a deep breath, held up a finger at Rhodes, who was watching in utter confusion and disbelief, like, 'one minute', before he turned to Tony and smiled fakely, "And how was I supposed to know they were low dosage?"

"Because it says it on the freaking bottle!" Tony shouted.

"Good Lord Tony- you asked for freaking Asprin, I grabbed the freaking Asprin," Peter said furiously.

"It could have said rat poison and you wouldn't even have blinked," Tony grumbled, popping the pills in his mouth and chugging water from the bottle he kept on his desk. He swallowed. "Now thanks to you, these two pills equal about one half of one normal one, so this will do a lot."

"Oh I'm so sorry," Peter slurred sarcastically. 

Tony turned to Rhodes who was watching them both. "Hey man, yeah, it's weird. But if you joke about this or tell anyone and I will lock you out of the War Machine suit, got it? Anyway, long story short, Peter and I were working on time travel and-"

"Woah, woah, woah, time travel? When were you going to tell me that?" Rhodey spluttered, immediately jumping out of his seat. 

"When it became relevant," Peter grinned. 

Tony smirked at the kid and nodded, winking at Rhodes, "Which is just did. Anyway, it got all weird and wigged out on me, zapped me around...blah, blah, blah, insert a bunch of science stuff you wouldn't understand, and instead of me traveling through time it kind of did the opposite and time traveled through me and now I'm a sixteen year old boy again. Ta da. Done." 

"And you're not...messing with me, right now?" Rhodey said slowly. "You're dead serious. Not joking?"

"Believe me buddy, I wish I was joking, but nope. This is the real deal," Tony scoffed, leaning against the lab next to Peter. "So now we're here to fix it and build the time machine back up."

"This is...too good, I need a picture," Rhodey hooted, going for his phone. 

Tony's palm shot out and he pointed his arm at Rhodey, "I will blast your phone out of your hands, I swear to God, Rhodey."

"I'll send you one," Peter grinned, giving Rhodey a thumbs up before he got elbowed, "Ow."

"You can't tell anyone, okay?" Tony pleaded. "Please. And I'm honestly threatening here," he admitted, shrugging, "I have more blackmail on you then you know and if you breath a word I will release it to the entire team."

Rhodey snickered and put up his hands in surrender, "Ok, ok, not a word. I promise. This is just...I can't believe it. Look at you!"

"Yeah, hilarious. Get all your giggles out," Tony said dryly before he breathed a sigh of relief, "Thankfully, this shouldn't take long, we'll be done in-"

"About that..." Peter said suddenly and Tony saw the kid had moved to the other end of the lab and was on a 3D screen. "We can't build the time GPS until we know what we're dealing with right? So we've got to run some numbers again."

"Oh shoot. Because of the energy spike," Tony groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Peter nodded slowly, "If we used the old settings to try and navigate through the quantum realm, we might implode. It's wonder you got out alive. It must have been some fluke."

"Hey, maybe I have super powers now," Tony grinned, before shrugging cockily, "Besides my stunning good looks and intelligence of course. And money, if that's a superpower."

"Anyway," Peter sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "We're sitting ducks until we get this data in."

Tony groaned, "Because we can't make the suit or the watch or fix the machine until we know the energy fluctuations. Great, okay. That's just great." He slammed his fists against the desk which knocked over a pencil cup, it's contents spilling over the counter.

Peter rubbed his chin, "We can hook it up to our simulations which will make it go quicker. Today's Friday so it will be done...oh. Wow. In a while."

"How long is a while?" Tony said nervously.

Peter winced, "A little over a day and a half."

Cursing, Tony glared at the machine. "You have got to be kidding me. Rhodey, stop laughing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was thattttt?? Looks like Tony is gonna be stuck as a sixteen year old for a little while teehee. And now Rhodey knows but he'll keep his mouth shut...hopefully. But the real question is what are they gonna do in those 36 hours???.... muhahaha I am very excited to write the next two chapters which will take place over the day and a half, especially since it's the weekend and there's no school :) As always, I love to hear your thoughts and any suggestions you have! Stay tuned for the next chapter, thank you so so much for reading, and stay healthy!  
> I love you all 3000


	5. A Day in the Life of a Teenage Tony Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLOOO lovely readers!!! hope you guys are having an AWESOME day :) I'm slowlyyyyy going insane from being cooped up, so i hope you all are staying sane and healthy and safe while social distancing.  
> I have an awesome chapter for you guys, I rly like it. We get some more action and some more absolute chaos, AND john wick! but we also get some heart to heart talks which are always a fav of mine. So enjoy a chapter of just Tony and Peter being...stupid. That's the recap. Also for those of you who love the Ross scenes....he gets a quick cameo haha :) AND! A first direct reference to irondad in this one though so have fun <3  
> Thank you guys for all your comments, it's making this story so fun to write and I love cranking out chapters for you all!  
> I really appreciate all of your feedback and am so glad you all are liking it.  
> Ight I'll shut up now haha read on!!!!

Peter knew there was something wrong when Tony tossed him the keys and said he would wait in the car. Peter nodded as he and Rhodey stayed back by the elevator in the garage. 

"I'll call you when FRIDAY finishes the numbers. Are you guys gonna be ok?" Rhodey asked as he bounced on his heels, looking at Tony who slammed the door shut, lowering the passengers seat back and rubbing his hand over his face. 

"Thanks Rhodes," Peter said, twisting the keys in his hand. "Yeah...I think so. We'll brainstorm ideas for the suit and the time GPS and just...hang out, I guess? As long as you can hold down the fort over here?"

"I'll do my best to make sure the team doesn't find out," Rhodey nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And you take care of my best friend, kid."

Peter looked over his shoulder, "Yeah, I will." 

"You know this is weird for Tony especially, right?" Rhodey said and they both looked at his friend in the car with a compassionate frown. He winced, "Go easy on him."

"Yeah, I know," Peter sighed, shifting his weight. "The sooner we get him back to normal the better." 

"Ok, I do need that picture though," Rhodey hit his shoulder and Peter grinned, pulling out his phone and sending it to him. Rhodey chuckled before shoving his cell back in his pocket and clapping Peter on the back, "Thanks kid. Take care. See you in a day and a half."

"You too," Peter said, clasping his arm with a nod. He walked over and slipped into the front seat. "You okay?"

Tony didn't say anything as he turned the key and pressed on the gas. He didn't say anything as they passed the gate, and Peter waved, not stopping to talk to Gerald to save Tony from having to socialize. It was when they were stuck in traffic when Peter finally sighed and said, "Spill. Now."

Tony looked over as if he had no idea what Peter was talking about, "What?"

"You obviously are not okay about all this so if you want to talk, talk," Peter said firmly, before adding, "Look, I won't even tease you!"

Tony scoffed and turned away.

Peter sighed, "I'm serious. Tony, I'm not about to deal with your moodiness for a day and a half so get it out now," he joked, looking over at him. "I know this is weird for you. It's weird for all of us, but especially you. So...what's on your mind? New York traffic isn't gonna be moving for a bit and I'm tired of silence. Come on."

Tony didn't say anything for a bit, he just stared ahead and Peter sighed, about to turn on the radio. 

"I don't like it."

Peter looked over, resting his hand on the top of the wheel, "No one expects you to like it, Tony."

"No, I really, _really_ don't like it," he said firmly, scratching the back of his head. "Look...just...when I was a kid, I was a different person. My father definitely didn't win dad of the year award and I was never enough in his eyes, whether that was in my smarts, or just being a son. My parents were always fighting, and I shoved myself into work."

He shrugged, "And yeah, it's cool and all that I build my first circuit board before some kids learn to ride a bike. But looking back? That's not something I'm proud of. My childhood...let's just say it wasn't a good time. The longer I stay," he motioned to himself while making a face, " _like this_ , and things go wrong..." Tony looked down. "The more it makes me think of those times, you know? Like I didn't just screw up time travel, I'm literally repeating my childhood. And that's- that's not a good feeling."

"Tony, this wasn't your fault," Peter said with a nervous laugh. "I know I tease you about it, but it could have happened to anyone, heck! It could have easily happened to me! We had no idea what quantum energy was like. You could not have predicted this in a million years."

"Yeah, but it happened. And now I'm stuck like this for a day and a half. At least," Tony said, shifting in his seat. He scoffed and shook his head, trying to muster a smile and failing. "Pete, when I became Iron Man, I vowed to change. I did change. I got a second chance. But I am still a hot mess, kid. I'm not proud of some stuff I've done, but I try and make up for that every day."

"I- I know you do Tony," Peter said firmly. "And you have already. You know my stance on that," he grumbled. Peter had spent hours screaming with Tony about how he had looked up to him since he was little, whether that argument was provoked by watching Tony beat himself up for the millionth time after a recent press conference, or something coming up about Sokovia- 

"Yeah, well some people don't think like you kid," Tony said with a small chuckle, shooting him a grateful look. He shrugged, "I admit, I've screwed up. But the one thing I can't screw up is protecting you."

Peter looked over, his gaze softening and Tony shook his head, "You, and Pepper, and Rhodey, and the team? It's my job to keep you guys safe. I wanted a suit of armor around the world, and I messed that up with Ultron. So I put a suit of armor around the people I love. And I protect you guys. And now, watch me fail at that too."

"Tony, you're not gonna-"

Tony turned, his eyes wide, "Pete, face it. If aliens attacked tomorrow? What help would I be? Yeah, they'd be super scared of a twelve year old coming at them in a cosplay suit. Or maybe it's not an Earth level threat. What if something happens to you, and I can't-" he trailed off. 

Peter blinked, pressing on the brake as red lights popped up, cars stopping. He spoke softly, "So you hate being young...because you can't protect me?"

"Yeah, if you want to put it that way, sure," Tony said, crossing his arms turning to look at the window. "Think about it. At school, with Flash. Yeah, I stood up for you then, but guess what happened a couple seconds later? You got slammed into the wall by the punk and kicked in the chest."

"Tony, that's-" Peter cut in. 

"No, kid. That's _exactly_ what happened. I didn't do my job," he said firmly, shaking his head. "And I've known someone has been bothering you at school. I've contemplated talking to you about it, but I figured you were handling it. And then, I was given a chance to end it, and I probably just made it worse." He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before his next sentence came rushing out in a torrent of words. "Pete, you're the closest thing I have to a son and I pretty much held up a sign that said, hey Zoom, come beat the crap out of my kid," Tony said furiously. 

"Flash," Peter corrected. 

"I know the brat's name," Tony scoffed. 

"That's not gonna happen, Tony," Peter said quickly. "Don't tell May, but if he does anything like that again, I will punch him in the face," Peter smiled. "I'm tired of not sticking up for myself and letting him walk over me."

"You'll punch him in the face?" Tony clarified. 

"Yep," Peter grinned. 

Tony thought about that and then asked, "A hard punch? Like break his nose hard?"

"For sure," Peter promised. 

"But what if it's him and his friends?" Tony raises an eyebrow.

Peter snorted, "I've taken down twenty guys with guns before, Tony. I think I can handle five jocks."

"You couldn't earlier today," Tony pointed out with a small, teasing smile. 

"Cause' I was too busy making sure you weren't getting killed," Peter shot back.

Tony smirked, nodding. "Fine."

Peter laughed and took a breath, turning the wheel. When they made it down the opposite street, he asked, "You good now?"

"No." Tony sighed, "But yeah."

"So about what you said about me being the closest thing you have to a-" Peter started. 

"Shut up," Tony said, shaking his head and putting up his hand. "People think we're brothers at the moment. We'll save that talk until I'm forty seven again."

"Deal," Peter said with a slight smile on his face. He looked over at Tony who rolled his eyes and leaned against the window, his shoulders more relaxed.

Five minutes later Peter pulled up in a spot on the side of the road and turned off the car. Tony looked around and raised his eyebrow, "This isn't your house."

"Wow, aren't you smart?" Peter grinned. "We're not going home just yet, because I needed to stop by the store for May. And because we're getting Delmar's since we're right here. You have to try one of his sandwiches. He also gives me free gummy worms."

"You're literally five," Tony grumbled as he got out of the car, shutting the door. 

"Look who's talking," Peter smiled, tossing Tony the keys for safe keeping before raising his hands in surrender. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. No more jokes, rest of the day."

"You aren't physically able to do that," Tony shook his head as he walked onto the sidewalk, following Peter. 

Peter grinned, "You're right, I can't." He and Tony ran across the street, jogging a block until they reached the store on the corner. Peter pushed open the door gleefully, "Hi Mr. Delmar!" The small bell signals their entrance. 

The man turns around, a smile on his face, "Parker! Good to see you. And who's this?"

"Anthony," Tony said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Nice place you got sir, I've heard some good things."

"Best sandwiches in Queens, my friend. I haven't seen you around here before," he said, resting his arms on the top of the counter. He points at the two of them, "You and Peter related? You guys look alike."

Tony makes a face, "We do not-"

"Cousins actually," Peter cut in, clapping Tony's shoulder. "He's visiting from Canada. I said he's got to have a sandwich before he leaves."

"How long are you here for Anthony?" Delmar asks. 

"A day and a half," Tony sighs. "Maybe longer."

"Well don't be too excited kid, you're pull something," the man laughs. Peter snickered, moving away to grab gummy worms to hide his smile. Delmar calls over to Peter, "Maybe my sandwich will cheer your cousin up."

Peter smirks, "He's just got a tough exterior. Softy on the inside though."

"Oh really?" Tony asked the boy who nodded innocently. 

Delmar chuckled, "Usual, Peter?" Peter nodded and he looked at Tony. "How about you, kid? It's all good."

Tony took a quick look at the menu hanging against the back wall, "I'll get a...six please. Extra spicy?"

Delmar grinned, "You got it." He shouted over his shoulder, "Usual for the kid and a six for his cousin! Extra picante!" He shook his head at Tony, "You're screwed my friend, we make it hot."

Tony grinned, "I accept the challenge."

Peter went over to the side and called, "And with pickles and can you-"

"Smush it down real flat!" the man in the back finished, waving him off, "I gotcha kid."

"Thanks!" Peter grinned. A cat jumped onto the counter and he gave it a scratch behind his ears, "Hey Murph."

Delmar gestured to Tony and Peter's bruised faces, "You boys get into a fight?"

"Yeah, just some guys at school," Peter said dismissively. "We won though."

"And how's school?" Delmar asked. 

Peter shrugged, walking back over casually, "Same old, same old."

"Stay in school kid, otherwise you end up like me," Delmar suggested. 

"Don't diss the best sandwich shop in Queens," Peter pointed at him and Tony grinned. 

Delmar smirked at the compliment, tossing him his sandwich, "Fair enough. How about that internship with Tony Stark, how's that going?"

"Good. Crazy. Unbelievable at times," Peter admitted, shooting a look at Tony who smirked. "But good. Changed my life."

"Good to hear Parker," Delmar nodded happily, taking Peter's ten dollar bill and handing Tony his sandwich. "When you need an EMT to revive you, don't come suing me."

"I won't," Tony promised as they waved and walked to the door. He nudged Peter's shoulder, "It's probably not even that hot." They walked out the door and made it back to their car, putting the sandwiches in the backseat. Tony shrugged, "It's cold enough, they won't go bad and I could use the fresh air. Which store?"

Peter pointed, looking at the street signs, "Couple blocks down."

Tony shut the door and locked the car with a grin, "Let's go."

"We're gonna have to carry the bags back though," Peter grumbled. 

Tony looked over at him as they started walking down the sidewalk, "Oh, I'm so sorry, you wuss."

About five minutes later, they made it to the corner store. Walking in, Peter grabbed a basket on the side and Tony snatched one too, getting a look from the kid. "We only need two things."

"You obviously haven't shopped with me before," Tony grinned, hitting him on the shoulder. "I'm paying, by the way." 

"Won't they see on your credit card that you're not Tony Stark?" Peter raised a suspicious eyebrow as he followed Tony forward. 

Tony winked and slipped on his sunglasses. They lit up and he asked, "FRIDAY?"

_"I'll take care of it sir."_

"Thanks," Tony said before he walked forward. "What do you want to attempt to make for dinner? I can teach you how to cook a shrimp Alfredo. You get it from a fancy restaurant and then put it in a dish and say you did it. HA. Alright, get your crap, I'm going this way." 

Peter watches him walk away with a small shake of his head and he goes to the back to get the stuff May needed. He fills the basket halfway and then throws in two more bags of Doritos just for fun. He finds a magazine of science and begins to read it before shoving that in too. Then he goes and finds Tony walking down to meet him.

Peter sees a beer in the basket and he rolls his eyes, picking it out and waving it in front of Tony. "Oh, I didn't know you turned twenty-one. Happy Birthday."

"I'm forty seven-" Tony curses with a sigh. "Crap. I forgot. Yeah, yeah, yeah." Peter puts it back and Tony sets down his basket so he can reach into the nearest isle. He grabs two cereal boxes and holds them up, "Which one? Both? Okay. We done yet?" He snaps his fingers, "No, we need dinner. What do you want for dinner? We had pizza last night so that's a no go."

"Uhhhh, spaghetti and meatballs?" Peter suggests with a shrug. 

"Doable," Tony says and they split up to grab their respected items.

Peter walked down the isle, grabbing a box of spaghetti before he froze, his Spider Senses tingling. He looked behind him, ears straining to hear. The door opened and Peter shouldered the nearest shelving rack, peeking out from behind the corner. Four guys walked in, and Peter saw them eye the security cameras. Each one had a hand inside their jackets. Peter tensed and pressed his back against the shelves, taking a deep breath before he looked again. The men waited until a woman and her kid left the store, probably thinking it was empty. 

Well, Peter thought, at least they weren't heartless. 

He knelt, hiding behind a rack of chips as two of them moved for the register section, the other two moving for the ATM in the corner. Peter saw the men whip out guns at the cashier who looked up in shock, immediately raising his hands. Yells filled the room as they declared their presence and shouted orders. The other two knelt by the ATM, their big forms in the way so Peter couldn't see what they were doing.

Peter shifted his position, suddenly bumping into someone. He panicked and shot a web, hitting Tony in the chest. 

"Son of a-" Tony cursed, his eyes going wide. 

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Peter demanded, yanking the web off Tony's sweatshirt, making him fall forward. 

"You webbed me!" Tony hissed in shock. 

Peter looked at him angrily, "Yeah I webbed you- you snuck up behind me-"

Tony slapped him in the shoulder, "What happened to your stupid Spider Senses-"

"They only go off when there are threats!" Peter whispered harshly back. 

Tony screwed up his face in hurt, "I'm not a threat?"

"Go check it out," someone said in a gruff voice. Tony and Peter both looked up, abandoning their baskets as they hauled each other to their feet with a hand clasped around each other's sweatshirts. They sprinted, sliding to the floor and scrambling behind the last isle at the back of the store. 

"What do we do?" Peter asked, letting go of his hold on Tony's hoodie to get to his feet and look around for anything he could use as a weapon. 

Tony rubbed his hands together and peeked into the isle and whispered over his shoulder, "You got your suit?"

Peter glared at him, "Yeah, I slipped it on while we were at Delmar's. What kind of stupid question is that?" Peter asked firmly. "How about you, you got a suit?"

Tony allowed himself to be sarcastic and he slurred, "Oh yeah, I made a kiddie version while getting chewed out by Rhodes. It goes 'pew pew' when you fire the freaking blasters," Tony retorted dryly. "And it talks when you push the arc reactor! The eyes light up too-"

"Shut up," Peter snaps, putting a finger to his mouth as he closes his eyes and listens. 

"There's people still left in here. Two baskets," the man reported quietly.

"It's not a big store, spread out. Find them!" someone else yelled.

Tony and Peter glanced at each other nervously. "Ok, I'm gonna look," Tony said, quickly peeking out from behind the isle before whipping back, pressing himself against the isle. Peter waited, spreading his hands in question and Tony shook his head, "Too fast. Who cares. You go right, I go left. They're gonna be on us in like two seconds, it's a really tiny store kid, they can probably already hear us."

Peter cursed and grabbed a can of beans, tossing one to Tony before he ran the length of the isle, shouldering the side. "Hey kid!" Tony hissed. Peter turned and looked at him. "Don't get shot," Tony said firmly. 

A gun came into view in the corner of his eye and Tony twisted, swinging his can up. With the gun pointed at the ceiling, Tony threw out his elbow, landing a hit in the man's groin. The man's foot caught him in the face and Tony landed on his side, hard. But he got up quickly, twisting out of the new grip on his wrist, ending up behind his opponent. Before the man could turn, Tony planted a harsh kick in the center of his back. He slammed into the shelf and Tony grasped another can from the floor, winding up his arm and throwing it. The dude got up, the beans catching him in the shoulder and snarled in pain.

"What, you wanted corn?" Tony taunted and pilled his arms with cans. "I got plenty of options. Come and get em."

The man reached for his gun and Tony threw the can of peas. The metal smacked into the gun, sending it skittering to the corner before he launched water chestnuts at the criminal's chest. 

"Strike one, strike two, strike- crap-" Despite landing hits, the man still lunged and Tony dove to the side into the next isle, tripping as a hand grasped his foot. Tony twisted, pointing a palm at him in instinct and the man snorted.

"Who do you think you are, _Iron Man_?" he laughed.

Tony growled, "Yeah, something like that." He kicked his foot out, grabbing a can of bug raid and he undid the cap, slamming his thumb down on the button. The man screamed and grabbed his eyes as Tony scrambled away, grabbing a lighter from the rack on the corner and sprinting down the isle. 

"KID!" he yelled, skidding to a stop as a man was thrown past him.

He looked to the side and Peter stood, breathing hard. The kid's head suddenly turned as a yell sounded from the other end of the isle, getting louder with footsteps. Peter bent his knees, bracing, but Tony had a better idea.

"Catch!" Tony yelled, tossing the lighter and the can of raid. Peter sidestepped as he flicked the lighter and pressed the button. A massive flame burst out and the man screamed, immediately dropping to the floor, singeing his eyebrows and hair. Peter kicked him in the gut and the man doubled over, doing a sit up as he grasped his stomach and Peter landed a punch, the man's head rocking back. 

He looked up at Tony and shrugged, before his eyes shot over Tony's shoulder and narrowed. He webbed Tony in the chest and yanked him down, flipping forward. Peter dodged the first bullet, getting a grip on the gun.

"Pete," Tony yelled as the kid got hit in the chest and then in the face. Peter snarled, landing a punch before twisting the man's arm, hitting him across the jaw with the gun. The cashier cowered in the corner and Tony saw Peter turn and freeze, slowly putting his hands out, palms up. Tony scrambled to his feet, grabbing a bag of apples before sprinting down the isle, slowing as he looped around the corner. 

"Don't move kid, unless you want to get shot!" the man snarled at Peter. Tony walked silently up behind the last dude who had his gun pointed at Peter. The kid did his job, not giving Tony away, his hands curled into fists as he raised them and tensed, his glare keeping the man distracted. 

"Yeah, not on my watch," Tony swore, swinging the bag as hard as he could. It caught the guy across the head and he staggered to the side, turning his gun on Tony.

"No!" Peter yelled.

Tony twisted and grabbed the side of the firearm before he thrust forward, sinking his fist and the gun into the man's stomach, winding him. Surging forward, he took a hit across the face to hook a foot around the man's ankle. Jaw stinging, Tony sent the man smacking into the ground. The gun clattered out of his hands as the criminal slumped to the floor unconscious. Tony looked at Peter who took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing. 

The cashier peeked out from above the counter, trembling. "Oh my God-"

Tony ignored him and immediately rushed to Peter, putting a hand on his back, "You good kid?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Peter said firmly, clasping his shoulder. 

"T-thank you," the man behind the counter said shakily. "Y-you saved my life-"

"Yeah, don't mention it buddy," Tony snorted, still gripping Peter's sweatshirt protectively. "Do us a favor, call 911. Leave us out of it though, be the hero of your own story. We were never here, got it?"

"G-got it-" the man said with a violent nod of his head, looking around at the mess of his store in shock. 

Tony looped Peter's arm around his shoulder and went back to the isle where their baskets were. Peter shrugged him off, "I'm good, I'm good."

"Yeah, sure you are," Tony said angrily as he grabbed both baskets, keeping an eye on him. "FRIDAY, take care of the security cameras, will ya?"

_"Already done. And I'll have sworn statements by at least four people that they fought off the robbers in less than six minutes."_

"Make it five minutes and we're good," Tony said, walking over to the cashier. He motioned to the stuff, "Can we get a bag?"

"Four people save local grocery store from robbery. Huh, what cool guys. Noble," Peter snorts, turning up the TV in sight from the kitchen, tossing the ice pack to the side. The bruises on his face were almost gone. "Looks like the criminals thought to wipe the security tapes and they must of all sustained head injuries because they're saying two kids beat them up."

"What about...the store...guy," Tony pants. 

"He's in shock. He doesn't know exactly what happened," Peter said happily. He looked over with a smirk. "How you doing there, Tony?"

They were at his kitchen table, the food put away, wounds attended to, internet searches made and posts deleted to make sure no one ever knew they were in that store. Everything was taken care of, which meant now, they could have lunch. So now they were sitting at the kitchen table, chewing on their sandwiches. Peter had his feet up on the other chair, watching the comedy in front of him as he happily ate his food.

Tony, who had gotten the extra spicy sandwich, took his first bite and immediately bragged how it wasn't hot. But now, not even halfway through the sandwich, things were a bit different. 

"Shut up," Tony gasped, ducking his head down and taking a deep breath. "Holy crap." 

Peter grabbed a water bottle and opened, holding it out so Tony could see it. "Oh, nice and cold."

"Now you're just being mean," Tony hissed, wiping his eyes. "Son of a-"

"Oh, did you- did you want one?" Peter asked innocently, offering him another water bottle which Tony smacked away.

"Milk," he pleaded. "Water makes it worse. Pete, I will pay you. Mug, milk, now," Tony waved his hand, setting down his sandwich and rubbing his forehead. "Oh my God, I think I'm dying. 911 better be on speed dial."

"Don't worry, I can hit three numbers really fast," Peter assured him as he got up slowly and walked across the kitchen.

Tony nearly fell out of his chair, "Yeah, but you can't walk fast. Come on kid, you're Spiderman! Isn't your job to save people? My chest is literally about to catch on fire. Oh my God- it hurts to breathe. I can't breathe."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Peter said calmly, taking out the milk and sifting through the mugs with a grin on his face. He unscrewed the cap, purposely getting it stuck a couple of times before pouring it slowly, looking over his shoulder, "You hanging in there champ?"

"When I can fully function again, I'm gonna kill you-" Tony swore, his hands on his knees as he leaned over in his chair. "Do I have time to write my obituary?" Peter finished, screwing the cap back on and putting the milk away, doing everything possible to delay as long as he could. Tony looked up and shouted, "PETER, I SWEAR TO GOD-"

"Ok! Ok! I'm coming," he laughed, walking over at a normal speed. He stopped a foot from the table and grinned, "What's the password?"

Tony's glare was fierce even though he was blinking every few seconds to clear tears and sweat, "Give me the gosh dang cup or I will tell May you made the coffee and do everything in my- oh my God that's hot- power to get you grounded."

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Peter asked before Tony made a lunge and snatched it out of his grasp, the milk sloshing. "Don't spill," Peter groaned. "That's my favorite sweatshirt."

"Thank you Parker for your concern," Tony said after he finished the cup on one gulp, collapsing back into his chair, wiping his eyes again. "That was more traumatic than anything I've ever experienced. I thought you were dead on the tarmac in Germany. This? Ten times worse." 

Peter laughed and sat down into his seat, continuing to eat his sandwich, "Well I enjoyed the show. I'll be sure to tell Mr. Delmar you cried your eyes out and almost thought about calling the police."

"Yeah, you do that," Tony said, picking up the mug again before realizing there was nothing in it. He cursed and sighed, shuddering before he poked his sandwich. "This should not be legal. Anywhere. You know what, I'm gonna order Happy one."

"Does he like spicy food?" Peter asked through a mouthful of his own sandwich. 

Tony grins, "No. He hates it. That's why it will be funny."

Peter laughed, wiping his hands. Suddenly a phone rings and Peter pats his cell, pulling it out, "Not mine."

Tony groans, craning his neck to look for his phone on the nearby counter, "FRIDAY, who is it?"

_"General Ross, sir."_

Peter blanches, "Oh no."

Tony grins, "Oh yes." He nearly falls out of his chair as he grabs a napkin and wipes his hands, lunging for his phone.

"I see you're excited," Peter says nervously, taking another sip of his water.

Tony snorted, "Uh, yeah. I dreamed about this the other night you know."

Peter raised an eyebrow, "Getting turned into a twelve year old and getting a call from the person you hate more than anyone in the world?"

"I'm sixteen," Tony said defensively before making a face, "And no, I hate Iosef Tarasov more."

"Who's that?"

Tony blinked, "He killed John Wick's dog. Ross is a close second though," he admitted. "And I dreamed of getting to tell Ross off without any consequences." He flicked the phone open, "State your name jerkface, who's this?"

_"Excuse me?"_

"Look buddy, I just got a new phone and I don't know who you are, so introduce yourself before I hang up. Aunt Sherill, is that you?"

_"Tony, if you are screwing with me-"_

Tony covered the speaker, "FRIDAY, lock the call would ya?" Then he removed his hand, "Tony? Who's Tony? Who are you, you sound old. 78? 80?"

Ross spoke through gritted teeth, _"I appear to have the wrong number, but you are talking to General Thunderbolt Ross, young man."_

"What kind of name is that?" Tony hooted. Peter snickered, putting a fist over his mouth. Tony grinned, "Oh, wait, shoot! I've heard of you! You're on TV. Are you that old dude who sits behind a desk all day and tells the Avengers what to do?"

There was a second of furious silence and a smirk broke out on both Peter and Tony's faces as the man responded, _"As a matter of fact, I am so I suggest you show me some-"_

"But they don't listen to you though," Tony says slowly, scratching his chin. "You know, I heard that Tony Stark tells you to go screw yourself every other day, is that true?"

_"Why can't I hang up this-"_

"I think it's true. You're not a really fun guy to talk to, I understand why the Avengers don't like having you around," Tony drawls. 

_"Hang up the phone kid, or I will have FBI at your door in less than a minute."_

"No, no, see, I know the FBI and they like me better than you," Tony countered. Peter spit out his water and Tony furiously tried to keep a straight face, clearing his throat, "Besides, since when is talking to a douche bag public offense? I think I could have you arrested actually."

_"Have me arrested- I am a government official-"_

"No, you're officially on my last nerve," Tony said in annoyance. 

_"What's your name, kid?"_ Ross growled. 

"John Jacob," Tony said firmly, before adding, "Jingleheimer Schmidt. Don't tease me man, okay? I got a lot of that in college."

 _"College?"_ Ross yelled, _"you sound twelve! Why can't I hang up this call you son of a-"_

"Woah, woah, easy there Lighting. And you sound ninety but I ain't judging," Tony protested. 

_"I will find out who you are and I will make sure-"_

Tony pulled the phone away from his ear, "You do that sweetheart. Stay safe, bye bye-" he hung up the call. 

"Well that was eventful. You having fun?" Peter asked sarcastically.

"Yes," Tony grinned.

"Uh huh..." Peter took a sip of his water, "You know, you should write a book. Fiction, of course. About what you would do if you spent the day as a teenager."

Tony nodded. "I should. That's actually a good idea."

"A day in the life of a teenage Tony Stark," Peter suggested, getting up to clear his trash. 

Tony made a face, "No one would read it with that title. Would probably suck. How about Forever Young?"

Peter shook his head, "That's already a movie."

"That's already a movie," Tony mocked, putting his mug in the dishwasher. "It would be pure comedy, are you kidding me? Oh, I forgot, there's an annoying sidekick too. He's got a crush on his best friend- there's the love story- dang this book's got everything."

Peter shot him a look, "I'm not your sidekick."

"Yeah, ok."

May came in at midnight, dropping her purse off by the door and hanging up her coat. She knew Peter was home because he had texted her earlier but didn't expect to hear sniffling coming from the living room. Peter and Tony were on opposite sides of the couch, watching a black screen with credits rolling up. 

She smiled at the tissues in the middle on the couch, "You guys watch the Notebook or something? Didn't know you had a thing for chick flicks."

"The dog-" Peter sniffed. 

May's gaze softened, "You watch Marley and Me? Old Yeller?"

"No," Peter said, his voice breaking. "John Wick."

"We cried the whole movie," Tony admitted sadly.

"John Wick-" she stopped in her tracks, looking at the two of them in amazement. "Why are you crying?"

"HIS DOG, MAY!" Peter cried. 

"You just- don't- kill a dog," Tony shook his head, rubbing his eye with his fist. 

Peter looked up, distraught, "And the way he just sat there with him-" 

Tony rubbed a hand over his face, "And he just pet him all beat up-"

"All bloody-" Peter added in furious tears.

"And he couldn't even-" Tony swore, "that dude was _dead_ the minute he laid a finger on daisy-"

"You don't shoot a guy's dog!" Peter spluttered. 

"Ok..." May said slowly, trying not to smile before she raised an eyebrow at Tony, "And what are you doing showing Peter John Wick? That's rated R."

"He's sixteen," Tony spluttered, wiping his eyes. "I'm forty seven. That's sixty three years combined."

"Yeah, also, May," Peter pointed at the TV. "That's a Tuesday for me."

May blinked at the two of them, "Ok, I'll leave you two to mourn Daisy-"

"Daisy," Peter said, his voice breaking as he sniffed. Tony handed him another tissue. 

"So how long are you stuck like that Tony?" she asked, taking out her earrings. 

"At least a day and a little bit," came a low grumble. 

May suppressed a laugh, "Wow. I'm sorry. Oh, yeah, did you hear there was an attempted robbery at the grocery store? Four guys stopped it before anyone could get hurt. I saw it on the news."

Peter chuckled softly, "Yeah, we lived it- ow!" Tony chucked a pillow at him.

"If that ever happens, you both turn and run the other way, understand?" she said. Tony and Peter both looked over the edge of the couch and nodded. "Why don't I trust you- and what happened to my kitchen?"

"We made spaghetti and meatballs," Tony said slowly. 

"And did you have a food fight as well?" May spluttered, looking at the mess and the dirty dishes. 

"We'll clean it up May, I promise," Peter said, giving her his best puppy dog eyed look. 

She gave in and sighed, walking over and ruffling his hair, "I'm going to bed. Spotless in the morning, okay? Get some sleep. Both of you."

Peter nodded, "We're just gonna do some science stuff first, and then we'll go to bed."

"We told May we would go to bed..." Tony realized slowly, sitting on the floor of Peter's room, sketching out a prototype for the time travel wrist GPS. They had cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and then had started working on what they could without the data, mostly design and input, leaving blank spaces that they couldn't fill.

They also facetimed Rhodey, waking him up since he was one of those weird people who actually had a normal sleep schedule. He said that so far, everything was fine. Nat, Clint, and Steve were the ones in the building, and they had bought the conference thing. Pepper was busy with some conventions so between all of her work and Rhodey assuring her Tony was fine, she wasn't worried. 

Now Peter was hanging upside down from the ceiling, eating Doritos while scrolling through his phone, "Yeah...we did..."

Tony flipped the clock over and sighed. "Well it's been an eventful couple of hours. How long do I have left?"

Peter looked up and glanced at his phone, "26 hours. Roughly."

"Great," Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, wincing as he brushed a bruise on his jaw. 

Peter noticed. "That from Flash or the store?" 

"Not sure. Probably both. You know, I think I got hit the the same spot twice," Tony smirked with a chuckle, prodding the purple spot on his jawline. 

"It's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

"Whatever," Peter rolled his eyes, but Tony could feel his gaze on him. He expected Peter to go yell at him to get ice again, for about the seventeenth time that night, because Peter was taking his stupid role of older cousin very seriously, but instead the kid cleared his throat, "I never said thanks."

Tony looked up and frowned, "For what?"

Peter scoffed, lowering himself down until he was on the floor. He shrugged, leaning against his bunk bed, "The dude had a gun on me and the only way I could have gotten out of that was by using my webs. And they both would have seen and things could have ended badly if you weren't there. So...thanks."

Tony looked over and nodded, "Yeah, don't mention it." Then he looked over, "I do accept cards though. I mean, who doesn't appreciate a nice thank you card?"

"Shut up," Peter laughed, shaking his head and grabbing his notepad from the floor. 

Tony grinned before he looked over his shoulder, "I wasn't about to let you get shot, kid."

Peter looked up and smiled, "Thanks, Tony."

"I mean if you did get shot, I would have to avenge you, like John Wick's dog," Tony said thoughtfully. 

"Did you just compare me to a dog?" Peter made a face. 

"It's out of love," Tony assured him with a shrug. "Indiana Jones' dad named him after the dog," Tony pointed out. 

Peter shot him a look, "Yeah, and Indi wasn't too thrilled about that, was he?" Then he scoffed, "All I said was thank you. Normal people say you're welcome. You successfully turned it into a joke. You're impossible."

"Takes one to know one. It's a gift," Tony said sarcastically. "We seriously need to have a talk though, about how you turn every conversation sentimental?" Tony pointed to the door, "You sure you don't want to go watch the Notebook?"

"Grow up," Peter groaned. 

"I wish I could!" Tony shot back with a grin. 

Peter gave him a look and slurred, "Ever try a career in comedy?" 

"Nah, I got a full time job," he winked. "Saving your-"

"Hey, if we're keeping score of who has saved who, I'm way ahead of you so don't even try me," Peter spluttered furiously. 

Tony scoffed, "You most definitely are not! But we're not keeping score."

"Fine," Peter said firmly, sinking back against the bed. 

Tony looked over his book, "But if we were keeping score I would totally be winning. I don't know what planet you're on."

"Earth, Tony," Peter said dryly. 

Tony rolled his eyes but a second later he shot a look at the kid and smiled slightly, "You're welcome, Pete."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADAAAAAA don't you just love how tony and peter turn everything into a joke or argument XD Anywayyyy how was it??? I have about 5 chapters planned left so if you want to see more, shout out ideas! Tell me what you think and if you have an suggestion for something crazy or funny or just anything, lmk! I love hearing from you guys, comments absolutely make my day.  
> Please stay healthy and safe and sane and also stay tuned! New chapter out hopefully in 2 days, I've been doing pretty well with that schedule haha  
> I wish you all luck in distance learning :)  
> I love you all 3000


	6. Top of the Rock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello lovely readers! Sorry for the slight delay on this one, life took over haha. I can't believe school is almost over tho that's insane to me. Ahhhhh. Also why is it you're more tired when you get more sleep??? These are the questions I need answered. This is a chill chapter before we start getting a liiiiiiittle tense. It's not that long length wise or time wise.  
> I hope you all are staying healthy and safe! Thank you so much for all of your comments, they have absolutely meant the world and are super awesome and encouraging!  
> This story is a blast to write XD  
> Hope you like the chapter!!!

"BOYS!"

Tony's eyes shot open and he fell out of the chair, landing on the ground with a groan. Peter had it worse, slipping off the top bunk and they both lay sprawled on the floor. Peter pushed papers off of his face and attempted to open his eyes, muttering, "I'm up! I'm up! What-"

"About time! I've tried everything except screaming to wake you guys up." May laughed in the doorway, "I'm going to work. It's 11 am, I see you guys stayed up late."

Peter shoved some of the papers behind him, which didn't clear even a fraction if the mess, "What- what makes you say that?"

"What time did you guys go to bed?" May asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Four-" Peter said slowly. 

"-minutes to 1. Peter, you could have just said 12:56," Tony laughed, giving him a pointed look. 

"A reasonable time," Peter finished. 

"You two are the worst liars on the planet, you know that?" May shook her head in disbelief. Peter and Tony looked at her guilty and she chuckled before asking, "Are you going back to the lab today?"

Peter nodded sleepily, "Yeah, late afternoon."

"I've still got a day to go," Tony drawled. "Wuppee."

"Don't sound too excited," Peter snorted. 

"I wish you both luck. This isn't dangerous is it?" she asked slowly, looking at Tony pointedly when she asked, "Peter's not gonna turn into a baby or an eighty year old man, right?"

Tony firmly shook his head, "He won't be in the room when we attempt to change me back."

"Oh so now you're awake and functioning," Peter said angrily.

Tony looked over his shoulder at him, "When it comes to your safety, yes. And as for when we're building stuff, May, if it's not safe, he's not doing it. And I don't want to hear it from you, kid."

"But-" Peter protested. 

"And I don't want to hear it!" Tony repeated more firmly. 

May smirked, "Don't kill each other before then."

"Yeah, no promises," Peter grumbles, glaring at Tony and grabbing the stress ball that was under the bed.

"Ok," May said, blowing a kiss to Peter and waving at Tony. "Text me if you need me, ok?" 

"Ok!" Peter called as she shut the door and he gripped the stress ball, winding up his arm. 

"You throw that at me and I'll kill you," Tony swore. 

Peter threw it anyway and it bounced off Tony's back, his shoulder's tensed. The teenager turned around with murder in his eyes and Peter grinned at him innocently, "Pancakes?"

Tony turned off the stove about fifteen minutes later as Peter dropped the last of the pancakes onto their plates. They walked over to the couch and sunk down with a content sigh.

"Syrup," Peter groaned. "We forgot the syrup."

"I'm not getting it," Tony grumbled, looking pointedly at Peter.

"I just sat down!" Peter protested. They both stared at their plates for a couple seconds, unwilling to eat the pancakes without any topping. Peter sighed, "Mine's getting cold."

"Go get the syrup then," Tony said, crossing his feet on the table. "You're closer." Peter shifted his spot and Tony pointed, "You're up! You stood up!"

"I was an inch of the couch!" Peter spluttered. Tony gave a triumphant smile and Peter put his plate down on the table, sulking as he dragged his feet into the kitchen and opened the fridge, screaming over his shoulder. "Don't take from my plate!"

Tony recoiled his hand with a small curse. A second later Peter dropped the syrup on the couch, jumping over and popping off the cap. Tony made a face after Peter squeezed the bottle for a good seven seconds, "Don't drown them, jeez."

"They aren't alive Tony, they can't breathe," Peter snorted, tossing the bottle over.

Tony caught it with one and muttered dryly, "No, really?" He took a bite and sighed, gesturing with his fork, "I haven't had pancakes in...forever."

"Because you haven't eaten breakfast in forever," Peter said firmly. Tony made a face and shrugged, not denying it. Peter nodded his head in his direction, "How's your face?"

"Good. And by good I mean it feels like I got punched. So, _normal_. And I swear to God if you tell me to get ice one more time-" Tony swears, his gaze snapping up.

Peter grinned and shut his mouth before looking at his watch, "Ok, what's the plan today?" he asked. "FRIDAY will be done with the numbers early tomorrow morning, like super early. We could go to the lab today to just set stuff up and see if there's anything we need to do? I've got nothing planned."

"I expected a five star, first class tour, kid. You're telling me you didn't have every second planned out?" Tony teased with a smirk. 

Peter laughed, "Shut up." Just then his phone rang and Peter set down his plate, pulling it out of his back pocket.

"Wow, you're popular?" Tony asked. "Probably a spam call."

"Shut up," Peter snorted, looking at the name and instantly grinning. "MJ," he mouthed. Tony wiggled his eyebrows and Peter glared at him before answering, "Hey MJ, what's up?"

"Speaker," Tony hissed. Peter waved him off. Tony kicked him, "SPEAKER!"

Peter whacked him in the face with a pillow, "Hey, no sorry, I had to take of something...oh...really? That's awesome! Oh...you wanna go with...me?" Tony's eyes widened. Peter started to slowly smile before his gaze snapped to Tony and he winced with a shake of his head, "I- MJ- I-"

Tony cursed and lunged, ripping the phone out of Peter's hands and falling off the couch, putting it to his ear, "Hey MJ, it's Tony- Anthony."

_"Oh...hey Anthony."_

Peter made a grasp for his foot and Tony twisted out of it, crawling away behind the couch before scrambling to his feet and sprinting for the kitchen. "Peter isn't able to come to the phone right now-" he said breathlessly. 

_"Is he ok?"_

"Give my back my phone!" Peter yelled. 

"Yeah, he's fine. Just slightly nervous. You know how he is," Tony laughs, sprinting around to the other side of the kitchen to get some distance from the kid who was shouting curses. "You know...he only gets that way when he talks to you."

"You've got to be kidding me," Peter snarled.

_"You're not trying to set me up with your cousin are you?"_

"What? No!" he laughed, before pausing. "Why, do you want me to?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Peter.

 _"No. Why- why would I..."_ MJ trailed off.

Tony grinned, giving Peter a thumbs up, "Anyway, he said yes. He'd love to."

_"Oh, so Wednesday works?"_

"Oh yeah, definitely!" Tony grinned. 

"Son of a-" Peter swore, vaulting over the table before Tony could move out of the way. Peter grabbed a fist of Tony's shirt but was greeted by a firm stiff arm to keep him at bay, ducking the swipes the boy made to get his phone back.

_"Are you guys ok? I hear a lot of-"_

Tony twisted in Peter's grasp, keeping the phone away from him, "Yeah, we're absolutely perfect," he leaned back as Peter made a lunge for the phone pressed against his ear, speaking quickly to wrap things up, "I think he's just a little tired this morning but he would love to hang out with you. Here's Peter."

Tony shoved the phone at Peter who fumbled it and pressed it to his ear, putting a hand on the bridge of his nose, still gripping Tony's collar. "Hey, yeah, sorry, I'm out of it this morning. Yeah. Ok, it's a date. You're really awesome, I mean in a cool way and I didn't mean it as a 'date' date but you know it's an expression- yeah. Yeah." He chuckled, the smile growing back. "I'll pick you up at 6? Cool...ok see you then I guess. Yeah, tell me about it. Ok. Bye."

He hung up the phone and Peter put in it in his pocket, glaring at him. Tony sighed and looked at the hand still gripping his collar, "Am I free to go, officer?"

"Really?" the kid demanded, not letting go yet, his gaze angry.

"You're welcome!" he slurred in response and Peter rolled his eyes, pushing him in the shoulder. Tony scoffed, straightening his shirt and looking at Peter incredulously, "What were you thinking, saying no? What were you even saying no too?"

"For the record," Peter said firmly. "I wasn't going to say no, I was just _hesitating_."

"Yeah, ok," Tony snorted.

"I only got two words out before you snatched the phone! And it's for an opening for the new science museum. She won two free tickets and wanted to know if I would go with her," Peter said with a small smile, running a hand through his hair. 

"That's outstanding! And you hesitated?" Tony spluttered. "It's MJ! You obviously like her!"

"Well I've got bigger problems to deal with!" Peter spluttered, waving his hands wildly at Tony. "What if we can't turn you back tomorrow, huh? Or by Wednesday? I'm not gonna just cut out and go on a date while you're stuck as a teenager!" 

Tony raised an eyebrow, "What, I'm a problem now?" Peter gave him a look. "Ok, maybe I am," Tony admitted. "But hey, it's gonna work tomorrow. And if it doesn't? Yeah, I would like to get back to normal as soon as possible, but that doesn't mean you're gonna miss out on a date with your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Peter corrected. "And it's not a date."

"Whatever you say kid," Tony says with a wink. "So what now? So far, it's been a great day. We made pancakes, I set you up with MJ..."

Peter sighed, leaning against the counter, "I don't even think we need an agenda. Exciting things just keep _popping up_ ," he says dryly. 

"You're right. I say we just walk around the city. I'm sure we will find something to do," he shrugged, shoving Peter's shoulder. "I'll actually try and introduce you to fun. Because I know your idea of fun is studying and reading books or some crap."

"It is not!" Peter protests. 

"Ok, when you have a free weekend, what do you do?" Tony raises his eyebrows. 

"I-" Peter glares at him and mumbles, "I build lego sets and yes, I read a few books!"

Tony blinks, "Legos? And then, what, you go to Disneyland too?"

"Hey," Peter points at him defensively, "Legos are not childish. They're complicated and strategic. And not just for little kids," he protests firmly. 

"Then why is there a age limit on the box?" Tony asks.

Peter frowns, making a face, "It's _suggested_. But hey, the lego death star is 12 and up, so you're gonna have to wait a few years." He pushes past him with a smirk and Tony chuckles loudly as he follows him down the hall. Peter's room is littered with papers and the overturned chair Tony fell out of as well as a blanket Peter had brought down when he fell off his bed. 

"Gosh, clean your room kid," Tony tisks, getting the stress ball launched at him. He picks it up laughing and inspects it, "I need to hide this thing."

"Ok, well if we're walking around the city it's gonna be cold, so bring a jacket," Peter points at his closet and Tony sees him grabbing his suit from a brown paper bag. He walks over and grins, inspecting the familiar item. 

Peter smiles. "This belongs to you. -TS," he says without looking at the bag. "I figured, heck, why not keep it?"

"You keep your multi million dollar suit I made for you in a paper bag from the dollar store?" Tony slurred. 

"First off," Peter snatches the bag away and folds it neatly, "I don't think you've ever been in a dollar store. Second, it's _your_ paper bag and it was convenient, ok? Sue me."

Tony holds up the bag and sticks out his lower lip, "I think it holds sentimental value."

Peter gives him a look, "You done?"

Tony grins and nods, setting the bag down, "Yeah. But you're bringing your suit?"

Peter scoffs, "Uh, yeah. I'm not having what happened at the store happen again."

"That's probably a good idea. Hey, open your window, I want to try something." Tony moves the chair over as Peter pushes his window up as far as it can go. He puts his palm out and waits. Peter realizes what he's doing and his eyes widen. He shakes his head. 

"Tony, this probably isn't the best idea-"

"Shh, it takes a second," Tony says, craning his neck to look out the window. He sees a dot in the sky and grins, "Hey, sweetheart. Come to papa."

Peter slowly takes out his phone without Tony noticing and presses record, putting it against his desk before crossing his arms and looking out the window. He scrambles back as a hand nearly takes off his head. 

"Duck," Tony says helpfully, his arm flying back as the gauntlet smacks into it. 

"A little earlier would have been nice," Peter grumbles. 

"Doable." Tony flexes his hand before the other gauntlet flies in and hits his other one, the palms flickering and lighting up. Some more parts fly in and connect around his legs and Tony stumbles a bit before grinning, "I'm the best."

Just then a massive chest plate, about four sizes too big slams into him and Tony stumbles backward with a groan. A solid piece hits him the crotch and he doubles over with a high pitched yelp, "Oh, _come on_! Really-"

Peter's holding onto his bunk bed, hunched over laughing, almost on the floor. 

Tony almost regained his balance until the face plate slams in place and Tony falls backward, hitting the ground hard, the suit breaking into pieces around him. Groaning, Tony rolls over, the helmet being the only thing that stayed on and he yanks the face piece up, realizing how big it is on him. 

Tony sighs, "Crap."

"Well, did you expect it to fit?" Peter laughed. 

Tony shoots him a look, glancing at the pieces of the suit that were cluttered around him, "I didn't think I shrunk _this_ much!"

"Proof that your head has gotten bigger over the years," Peter snickers, still nearly falling over in laughter. 

Tony glances at him, "Ha ha very funny. You gonna stand there and get your giggles out or are you gonna help me up?" he asks, sinking back down onto the floor holding his side. 

"I'm gonna stand here and get my giggles out," Peter says in contentment, still snickering. 

"Figures," Tony groans, slowly getting to his feet and yanking the massive helmet off. "That hurt. Maybe that wasn't the best idea."

"Leave the suit stuff to me, ok Iron Man? You can be Spiderman's sidekick for a couple hours," Peter grins, leaning against his bed. 

Tony frowns, crossing his arms, "But I don't want to be a sidekick-" A piece of the suit hits him in the back and Tony falls forward, spinning around and pointing at the pieces that have threatened to start attaching themselves again. "Hey- drop it!"

They fall to the ground, dead, before their boosters kick in and one by one they fly out the window. Peter comes over and clasps his hand, helping him to his feet before he snickers. "You- literally- got your butt handed to you," Peter hoots.

"Laugh it up kid," Tony grumbles, shoving him in the shoulder and grabbing a jacket from Peter's closet. "Let's go Spiderman. We've got a city to walk around in. And I need to try something."

"It's not gonna work," Peter sighs, crossing his arms. 

Tony raises an eyebrow, "You don't even know what I was gonna say!"

"Yeah, I do. I know you," Peter scoffs with a small smile and a shake of his head. 

"Yeah, not this well," Tony grins. 

Peter heads for the door with a roll of his eyes before he turns around, "You want to go to that club on Roosevelt Ave. But I am not going with you and it won't work either. You'll get bounced. Your ID says you're 47 and Tony Stark, no one will believe that, and then you'll get arrested or some crap and do I look like I have enough money to make bail? No. But sure, you're a billionaire, we'll use your money. That will be a fun one to explain to Pepper."

Tony makes a face as Peter walks down the hall. He sighs and shrugs, "The kid's good." Then he frowns, "It's every guy's dream to be young again and I finally get to live it and can't even get a drink. What a shame."

"Oh BOO HOO!" Peter calls from down the hall and Tony groans.

"Sometimes I really hate your Spider powers!"

About ten minutes later, they lock the apartment door, dressed and ready, Peter with a certain suit underneath his clothes, and a small backpack. Their phones are charged and a timer is ticking. They jump down the last couple of steps and head for the door of the apartment building.

"Ok, so what do you want to do?" Peter asks as they walk onto the busy sidewalk, the sounds of the city filling their ears almost instantly. 

"Rob a store? Vandalize a building?" Tony suggests seriously, looking over at Peter for approval as he shoves his hands inside his pockets. 

"Seriously?" Peter drawls. 

Tony grins, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He hits him on the shoulder, "If I was gonna do that I wouldn't tell you."

Now it's Peter's turn to smile and he shakes his head, rolling his eyes, "You're impossible."

"Right you are," Tony points at him before looking around. "You pose a good question though. What do we do?"

"Well...we could take a cab to the city," Peter suggests. "It's more fun to walk around there...and central park is always fun? Are there any buildings you haven't been to? Top of the Rock?"

"You know," Tony makes a face, "I've flown by it thousands of times...but I've never...been there."

"Well then I know where we're going," Peter nods as they start walking towards a busier street with more cabs. 

"And who's paying?" Tony snorts. 

Peter looks over and shrugs, "You. You're the billionaire. But luckily for you? I'm pretty sure kids under 12 are cheaper, so at least it won't be as much." A group of people brush by and Peter gets bumped, Tony immediately sticking out a hand to press against his back as he shields Peter from the next crowd out of instinct. The kid doesn't notice. 

He steadies him before snorting, "I'll leave you at the bottom." 

"Fine. I'll race you up," Peter shoots back cockily. "I can probably beat the elevator anyway. The building's not even that tall. It's 849 feet and the elevator takes 42 seconds," Peter says proudly. "I could totally beat you up there."

"First off, how do you know that?" Tony asks in awe. 

Peter grins, "We took a trip last year. I remember stuff."

"You get that from me," Tony says proudly and Peter snickers. Then he sobers his expression, "But Pete...not that high? Don't you...lose your stickiness?"

"Tony, I've been on the top of a plane before, and the Empire State Building," Peter laughs. "That's nothing."

Tony grabs his jacket in his fist. "When were you on top of a plane?" he demands. 

"That whole thing with the Vulture," Peter says slowly. "Did I not tell you this?"

"Start talking, now," Tony says firmly. 

Peter sighs, scratching his head and ruffling his curls. "Toomes was trying to steal your plane so I had to stop him, which meant catching a ride on his wings and sticking to the edge of the plane. We fought on there for a little while before I manually had to turn the wing so it wouldn't crash into the fair on Coney Island. So I also learned how to pilot a plane," Peter said proudly. "And also learned how much it hurts to be thrown off of one. Forget I said that last part," Peter added as Tony's head snapped up and he gave him a concerned look. Peter smiled weakly.

Tony sighed, shaking his head before asking, "And you go the drop on him?"

"Well...not exactly. He threatened me in the car with a gun, but he couldn't kill me because I saved and was currently dating his daughter."

Tony's nostrils flared and his fists curled at the thought. "That son of a-"

"But I left anyway to go stop him and he kind of...got the drop on me," Peter admitted. "Literally."

Tony stared at him blankly. "I don't follow."

"He dropped a building on me," Peter said slowly. 

"HE WHAT?" Tony yelled, startling some people around them. "And you're telling me this now, Parker?"

Peter grabbed his arm, giving those passing apologetic looks and small waves, "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" Tony hissed. "You got a building dropped on you and you didn't think to tell me? Am I gonna find out you almost died yesterday in a couple months, huh? And why didn't Karen call me?"

Peter looked over at him with a furrowed brow and looked at his feet, "Well I didn't exactly have Karen at the time, Tony."

Realization kicked in and Tony's gaze fell. He nodded and his voice was soft, "Oh." 

"Hey, it's fine," Peter assured him. "It was a long time ago. And I'm fine. I made it out and it was...honestly something I needed to do without a suit. Like you said, a learning experience. I took the the dog to the clinic, I raised the hybrid puppies-"

Tony makes a face and waves his hand, "Yeah, got it, not my best analogy. I don't think you got what I was originally going for there. And that's a good thing. I'll explain when you're older. Just...don't let me ever take your suit away again, ok? Because you seem to almost die...more often when you don't have it. I'll have to think of some other form of punishment, like not letting you read books or something."

"Deal?" Peter said slowly. "I guess?"

"You're not climbing Top of the Rock by the way," Tony pointed at him firmly. "No."

Peter grinned and they waved down a cab, "We'll see."

The taxi driver sighed and turned off the radio, "So Top of the Rock, huh?"

"Yeah, we're gonna race up," Peter grinned. Tony kicked him and Peter stuttered, trying to cover up his blunder, "Race up with elevators. We're gonna go in separate ones. I heard one is...point two seconds faster...so we're gonna go test out the theory."

"No we're not," Tony said firmly. "It's too dangerous. And stupid." Then he realized the context they had laid out and he winced, "Do you know how many people get stuck in elevators a month?"

"No?" Peter asked, not helping him get the conversation back on track.

"Neither do I, probably because it's a high number," Tony said firmly.

"Hey, not my idea of fun, but whatever floats your boat," the man laughed, turning on the radio. It was a newscast and Tony's voice crackled through the speakers. Peter grinned until it was suddenly turned off. The man waved his hand, honking his horn in New York traffic, "Sorry, all they talk about is Iron Man and Stark Industries now."

Tony snickers but Peter's gaze snaps up, "And what's wrong with that?"

The man shrugs in the front seat, "I'm just not a fan. Captain America is my guy."

"Mr. Rogers," Tony nods. "I can respect that. Good man."

"Why don't you like Tony?" Peter asks with a slightly snappy tone. 

"Relax kid, he doesn't have to like Stark," Tony laughed, surprised at Peter's anger.

Peter shifted in his seat, crossing his arms. "Never said he had to. Just don't see why he shouldn't, that's all."

The taxi driver looked back in the mirror, "No disrespect, just think he's a playboy. And arrogant. Not serious enough for my liking, a little selfish. Even he knows his ego is through the roof. But that man can party, that's for sure."

"Darn right," Tony grins. 

Peter scowls, "Yeah? Well if that's what you want to think, go for it. But it's all wrong. He's better than Cap, that's for sure. And he's not arrogant or a playboy."

Tony makes a face, "Well, I mean, what about the club-"

"Shut up," Peter says firmly before turning his attention back to the driver. "He saves people, okay? He's a hero and a role model and he's changed a lot of people's lives. He went into that wormhole to save the world, don't forget that." Tony was watching Peter in awe, the kid furiously defending him for absolutely no reason. "He's the most selfless person I've ever met."

The man turns around from the front seat, "You've met Iron Man?"

"Really, Pete, you have?" Tony asks tightly, urging him to drop the subject until Peter was smart enough to tell the man that he had Tony Stark in the backseat so he should watch his mouth. 

Peter looks directly at him and nods slowly, "When I was little. There was a Hammer Drone Attack back in 2010. And I had an Iron Man mask on. You- he, I mean. He. Why did I say you, it's not like you're Iron Man," Peter laughs nervously, gaze flicking to the person in the front seat. "That would be ridiculous." He shifted in his seat and rubbed his curls, "Anyway, he- Iron Man swooped down and saved me."

"That was you?" Tony splutters in shock, his eyes widening. "You were an idiot!"

"I was like six!" Peter shoots back. "Give me a break!"

The man turns around in the seat, "How would you know? You look younger than child Stark over here."

"Our...moms...talk," Tony shrugged, blowing off the question. He claps Peter on the shoulder, "You'll have to excuse my friend here. He's just a huge fan of the guy."

"What about you kid, you Team Iron Man?" the taxi driver asks. 

"Not a big one, but yeah...he's rich, he can party, and he's got killer suits so I guess he's cool. I'll take other people's word for it," Tony says, smiling at Peter. 

"Well I wouldn't take your cousin's there," the man snorted. 

Peter glared at him, "Son of a-"

Tony grabbed the back of his sweatshirt and hauled him back before blurting, "Here's good actually. Keep the change. Thanks man-" He reached over Peter after tossing money in the front seat and opened the door, shoving the kid out. Tony scrambled out after him and shut the door, leading Peter around the car as they weaved between traffic to get to the sidewalk. 

"What the heck was that for?" Peter demanded, shoving Tony off once they were at a good pace. 

"I got you out of there before you strangled the guy!" Tony said firmly, tightening his coat around him as the cold wind ruffled his hair. "Pete, I really don't care that not everyone likes me."

Peter looked at him weird and said, "Well, I think you do. Or you may not care but it's a lie if you say it doesn't affect you. The guy was bashing you in the front seat and you didn't even defend yourself! Heck, you encouraged his love for Cap!" 

"Cause Steve's a good guy!" Tony protested. 

"Not better than you!" Peter shot back as they jogged across the street. 

"Why are you so set on defending me?" Tony laughed, instinctively trying to lighten the mood. 

"Cause you're Iron Man! Cause I've been looking up to you since I was a little kid, Tony! I watched you carry that Nuke into the wormhole, I wanted to be just like you ever since I learned how to talk! And even more so when I got my powers! And you don't deserved to get bashed by people who think Cap is better just cause he's got the country's name in his title. Don't tell Cap I said that," Peter added after.

Tony grinned at that, but stayed silent, still processing everything Peter had said before that.

Peter sighed, "You know that feeling when you knew Flash was bullying me and you wanted to stand up for me?"

"Yeah," Tony said slowly, looking over at Peter who had his hands shoved in his pockets and his head down. 

"Right, so when someone trash talks you in the same car, that's the feeling I get," Peter said firmly. "So if you're not gonna stick up for yourself then I will."

"Fair enough kid," Tony admits, and they walk a block in silence, passing cars stuck in traffic. Tony looks down the street to his left and a hot dog cart catches his eye. He brushes Peter's shoulder and tosses his head, "Hey, come on." They jog across the street to reach the cart and Tony buys two.

Peter squirts mustard on his and Tony screws up his face, "Ew. Really?"

"Don't judge me," Peter says back. "It's good."

"It's disgusting and tangy. And mustard's so bitter," Tony concludes. 

"Like you," Peter shoots back with a grin. 

Tony drizzles ketchup on his and raises an eyebrow, "I thought you got all protective when I got bullied."

Peter takes a bite of his hot dog, "Yeah, I can bully you though."

"I'm gonna need a rule book," Tony concludes as he pays and they walk towards Central Park. 

"You wouldn't actually read it," Peter snorts. 

Tony grins, nodding, "This is true." They cross the street and reach the park, the trees turning red and yellow. He looks around with a smile as they start down one of the many paths, "I've got to admit? It's nice seeing stuff when it's not blown up, ya know?"

Peter grins and nods, "Yeah."

Suddenly there's a yell and Tony and Peter whip around, searching for it's origination. "Help! Can anybody help?" They see an elderly woman standing on the far end of the park, looking around in panic. Exchanging looks, they run forward, cutting through the grass.

"What's wrong ma'am?" Peter asks, getting there first since he could run faster.

She puts a hand on his arm and points as Tony skids to a stop behind him. "He won't come down! He's awfully scared of heights. I don't want to bother the police..."

Peter and Tony look up and see a brown cat, it's tail flicking back and forth on the high branch of the tree in front of them. Tony clasps Peter's shoulder, "Well I think you should-"

"Let you handle it? I agree," Peter finishes for him, cutting behind him and pushing Tony forward.

Tony looks back at him, furious, his gaze narrowed as he's forced forward, "What the heck are you doing?"

Peter grins before sobering his expression and nodding firmly, clapping Tony on the back and shoulder, "Ma'am, don't worry, my friend here is an expert at climbing trees. His cat got stuck loads of times, so he's a pro."

"Oh, how wonderful. What was your cat's name, dear?" she asked and Peter covered a snort with his hand as Tony faltered. 

Tony gave a fake smile and stuttered, "His name? It was...uh...Mr. F...luffy."

"Mr. Fluffy," Peter repeats firmly, trying to keep a straight face. Tony elbows him subtly in the ribs and Peter takes it with a chuckle. Then he shrugs, pointing forward and urging, "Come on Tony, what are you waiting for?"

"I hate you," Tony says under his breath, yanking off his jacket and starting for the tree.

"Here, let me get that for you," Peter says helpfully and Tony launches the jacket at his face.

He sneers before shooting him a look and pleading, "Pete, you sure you don't want to-"

"No," Peter shakes his head innocently. "No, no I'm good. Take your time buddy."

"Of course," Tony growls at him before smiling fakely again at the lady who is watching with concern. By now there's a crowd as Tony curses and steps up to the tree, glancing up at the cat near the top. "You've got to be kidding me," he swears, jumping up to grab the nearest branch that doesn't look like it would snap if a bird landed on it. When it stays, he plants his feet against the trunk and works his way up, letting go with one hand to grasp a higher branch.

"Let's walk around the city, it will be fun! Things keep _popping_ up," Tony mocks. "We'll figure something out to do. How about climb a freaking tree?" He tightens his grip and moves to that one, hooking his foot over and hauling himself up, gripping the rough wood to keep from falling. He smacks leaves out of his face, still grumbling. 

"How are you doing up there Tones?" Peter calls helpfully. 

"Fantastic!" Tony snaps. "No thanks to you. I'm gonna kill that brat," he adds under his breath, groaning as he shoves himself higher into the tree between two branches. 

"You're doing great, Tony!" Peter yells. 

"Shut up!" Tony yells back, standing on the branch and lunging for a higher one, his stomach pressed against the wood as he scrambles to maintain his balance. Tony twists around it and shuffles along the side to get below the branch that the cat is on. 

With one arm wrapped around the trunk, he puts his other hand up slowly. The cat looked down warily at him and Tony grinned nervously, "Hey sweetheart."

The cat hisses and Tony nods, "Ok, not a girl. Boy. Boy, right? Alright kiddo-" he stops and sighs, looking up at the cat, "yeah, I'm pulling out Peter's nickname for this one so you better be worth it. Look, I'm not gonna hurt you, so don't...hurt me, ok?"

The cat tensed, his tail flicking. Tony reached and the cat swiped with his paw, nicking his hand. Tony recoiled and looked up in shock, "Son of a-"

He rubbed his hand, glaring at the animal who was watching him warily, tail still swaying, back hunched. Tony sighed, leaning against the trunk in defeat, "Fair, that's fair, I guess. I mean, you've got to be freaked. Didn't expect to get stuck up here today? I can tell you right now I did not think I would be doing this...ever. I'm actually Tony Stark."

The cat hissed and Tony smirked, "I know, right? Crazy. And if you had told me I would be in a freaking tree because of some idiot kid- saving a cat..."

"Tony!" Peter yelled from the ground. He could see him cupping his hands over his mouth to shout, "What are you doing, having a conversation? Hurry up!"

Tony frowned, glaring at the kid between the branches and leaves, "No! That would be- ridiculous- don't rush me! I'm trying to coax him down!" He turned back to the cat and pointed behind him, "Look buddy, you gotta work with me here. I'm more of a dog guy anyway, so you're really pushin' it. I climbed all the way up here pal, so you better-"

The cat jumped into his arms and Tony caught him with a light laugh of triumph, stroking his ear, "There we go, squirt. Now, I'm gonna carry you down and you're gonna be a man about it, okay? And then you'll get some catnip and some nice cat girlfriends or whatever it is that...cats do...this is ridiculous." He tucked the cat into the crook of his arm and started to descend slowly before hopping down off the last branch, feet firm on the ground. He scratched the cat once more behind the ears and handed him back to his owner. 

"Thank you!" she said gleefully, already stroking her pet. A couple people clapped for Tony and he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. Peter handed Tony his jacket with a grin.

"Good job cat whisperer."

"Shut up," Tony said with a small smirk, snatching his jacket back and yanking it on. They said goodbye to the woman and continued walking. 

Peter was smiling and Tony raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I'm just glad you didn't have a conversation with the cat. That would be ridiculous," Peter said pointedly, a small smirk growing on his face and Tony narrowed his eyes. Peter looked sideways at him. "Look buddy, you gotta work with me here," he mocked. "I'm more of a dog guy anyway. Now, I'm gonna carry you down and you're gonna be a man about it, okay? And then you'll get some catnip and some nice cat girlfriends-"

Tony's gaze snapped over and he groaned, shoving Peter in the arm and grumbling, "I hate your super hearing."

Peter shrugged happily, "It's a gift." 

"It's really nice up here," Tony admitted. "I'm just slightly pissed that I got away with being twelve." 

Peter grinned, resting his arms on the railing next to him as they looked over the city, "I don't blame them."

They looked out at the lights and the sky, the muffled sounds below, the sun still bright in the sky, casting shadows on the lines of streets. Tony took a big sigh and looked around, "This is the first time I've seen the city like this and haven't been in the air with my suit. It's pretty cool."

Peter nodded, the cold breeze kicking in and they bundled up their coats. He grinned, "Yeah, it is. Just sucks that the city can have so many dark patches."

"Well that's our job, kid. To blot those out," Tony shrugged. "Tiring job, but the world is better because of us."

"That's true," Peter agreed with a sigh, scratching his head. He looked over at Tony and shoved his shoulder, "You know this all isn't that bad, right? I mean, come on, who else gets to become a sixteen year old again, get suspended from school, drive a car when they're not legally allowed, save a store from getting robbed, hang out with Spiderman and save a cat from a tree, huh?"

"I'm sure there's some story somewhere," Tony rolled his eyes before he nods, lowering his head. "Yeah, kid, I guess you're right. It's been fun being young again, I won't deny that. Not to say that I don't want to change back, because I do. Really badly. As soon as possible," Tony admits with a laugh.

"I'll miss making fun of you for your voice cracks though," Peter protests. 

"Ok, fine, you brat. I'll remember to call you out whenever you have them," Tony sneers. 

Peter grins, looking at his watch, "Fair enough. Ok, we should probably head back to lab. We've got 45 minutes." Tony nodded and looked around at the city again with a content sigh. 

"Hey kid, how about we come back here later, if we turn me back to normal?" he suggests.

Peter nods, "Yeah. And it's _when_ we fix you, not if. This is gonna work. We'll figure it out, I promise." 

"Thanks Pete," Tony said genuinely. 

"Oh yeah, one more thing," Peter said, tapping him on the shoulder. "I'll see you down there."

"What?" Tony demanded. 

Peter yanked his mask down over his head and waved, whooping as he jumped off the side. 

"Son of a- PETER!" Tony yelled, grabbing the railing before sprinting for the steps, taking note of the webbed security camera and the lack of people since they had been sectioned off. Heart beating out of his chest, he pushes past people and slides down the rail, ducking around a security guard to dive into the nearest crowded elevator. Tony restlessly waited as the doors closed, thinking of ways to punish the teenager if he was so much as scratched.

42 seconds later, Tony burst out of the elevator the minute he could squeeze through, throwing himself through the gift shop and slamming open the door to the exit, skidding to a stop in the busy sidewalk, whirling around to look for the kid. 

"About time," Peter says, checking his watch and grinning. He's leaning against the wall with one knee up, completely casual. "I win."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief and stormed over, "Don't you ever do that again."

Peter laughs, ducking some half-hearted attempts at punching, "You wouldn't let me race you up so I raced you down! You never said I couldn't race you down!"

"It was implied!" Tony shouted. "AND? I wasn't even ready."

Peter pointed. "We can have a do over if you want-" 

"No!" Tony yelled, pressing both hands against his head. "I'm gonna have a heart attack kid, I'm gonna die a sixteen year old because of a heart attack. That will be a fun one to explain to the doctors, huh?"

Peter shook his head with a small smile, "Come on, old man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Peter knows how to Give Tony a heart attack doesn't he? Next chapter things will get a little intense, with Peter finding out something not so good if they don't get Tony back to normal- DUN DUN DUNNNNNN and some good laughs as usual haha  
> Stay tuned, let me know what you thought, and stay healthy! If you have any goofy ideas lmk in the comments.  
> Thanks for reading! New chapter soon!  
> I love you all 3000 <3


	7. When the Crap Hits the Fan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellloooo lovely readersss sorry again for the short wait. I hope you like the chapterrrrr it's got some great laughs but also things start to go wrong because whats a story without angst am i righttttt. School is sucking and omg ALLERGIES kicked in BIG TIME?!?!? for literally no reason. Good luck to all of you taking AP tests :( they suck. I'm gonna go do more chemistry because that's always an absolute blast :)  
> Anywhooooo I hope you enjoy, thank you for all your support, I really appreciate it and read on!!

"Hey FRIDAY," Rhodes greets the A.I. as he enters the lab, setting the clipboard down on the nearest counter.

 _"Hi Rhodes,"_ she responded. _"Tony and Peter will be here in a bit. I got a text from them a couple minutes ago."_

"Thanks." Rhodey nodded, picking up a random set of pliers as he aimlessly wandered, before rubbing his chin in deep thought. He looked up and gestured casually, "How do you think they are, huh?"

"Can you maybe not do that?" Peter asked through gritted teeth, his hands clenched around the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. Peter's knuckles were turning white as the annoying humming and whirring sound echoed in his head. It was a steady rhythm, due to the user's uncanny ability to be obnoxious.

"What, this?" Tony stared over at him blankly, pushing the switch on the side of the car that made the window go up and down. He did it a few more times, staring at Peter directly, a small smirk breaking out on his face.

"Yes, that," Peter says calmly as they sat in traffic. He took a deep breath and looked over with a fake smile, "Do you mind stopping?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded back, continuing to flick the switch. "I actually do."

_"I bet they're just fine,"_ FRIDAY said. 

"I admire those two," Rhodey says, leaning back in his chair. He shrugged, "I mean, they're the perfect team. Tony would be so screwed without that kid. One day, I swear, he's going to adopt him."

 _"He does act like a father to Peter,"_ FRIDAY admits. 

"Right?" Rhodey scoffs, getting to his feet and looking at the two pictures Tony has tacked on his pin board. One is of Pepper and the other is he and the kid, working in the lab. He chuckles and points at it, still speaking to the A.I. "And he tries to deny it! But to be perfectly honest, and I've known Tony a long time, he's got a soft spot for only a few people. And Peter's one of them. He loves that kid."

"I hate you," Tony grumbles, flicking the window button that isn't working anymore. He does it a few more times before sighing angrily and muttering, "I swear to God, I hate you."

Peter grins triumphantly, "The feeling's mutual. But I've got to say, child's lock comes in handy sometimes."

"Except I'm not a child," Tony shoots back, glaring at the controls on Peter's side of the car. He was about to cross his arms but decided against it. "I was just bored because you won't let me listen to my CD!"

"Because we've played it already!" Peter exclaimed back, running a hand through his hair. "So I suggested the radio!"

"How do you think Peter's handling this?" Rhodey wonders before he shrugs at all of his questions, "I don't know, I just started thinking about this all earlier today and how weird it must be." He stood up and started clearing some work space on the nearest counter, shoving some papers with random scribbles aside. 

_"It definitely is a new level of crazy. Even for Tony."_

"You got that right," Rhodey snorts.

_"Also I wouldn't move anything. There's organization to this clutter."_

Rhodey looked down and nodded, moving the things back to their original location, "You're probably right. Don't- say anything. And I'm sure the kid is fine. I mean, heck, having someone close to you suddenly become your age must be pretty cool, right? I bet he's kind of bummed about Tony turning back."

"You know what?" Peter said angrily as he rounded the curve on the compound. "I can't wait to turn you back! I can't handle teenage you. It's like 100 times worse."

"Oh, well in that case," Tony turned in his seat. "Let me just _change back_ and get out of your hair!" He rolled his eyes. "Trust me kid, I'm loving this just as much as you."

Peter looked over sarcastically, his eyes narrowed, "I'm sure you are."

Tony _almost_ smiled at the familiar tone. "Eyes on the road," he said instead, reaching for the wheel to correct the kid's path.

"Don't tell me how to drive!" Peter said incredulously as he pulled into the parking garage. 

"Whatever, I'm sure they're fine, we're probably overreacting, right?" Rhodey asked nervously. 

_"To be perfectly honest? I don't know,"_ FRIDAY admitted.

"I mean, Peter gets his stubbornness from Tony," Rhodey rubs his chin, raising a hand almost like he was making a pros and cons list. "They're both sarcastic but somehow they make it work. I'm sure they're not trying to kill each other at least." He laughs awkwardly and when FRIDAY doesn't answer that time he rubs the back of his neck.

"I am literally about to kill you," Peter swears, shaking his head and shrugging. "I'm not even kidding. You don't even have a seat belt on! I could send you flying through the windshield-" Peter suddenly cuts himself off and turns to Tony, eyes wide and demanding, "Why the _heck_ don't you have your seat belt on?"

"Because we're in the freaking parking garage, kid! Unless you plan on slamming my million dollar car into a pole, which I hope to God you don't for your sake, I think I'm safe!" Tony shot back.

Peter pressed ever so slightly on the break and Tony yelped, putting his hand out as he slid forward, stopping himself with a palm against the dash. Peter snickered, spinning the wheel as he made his way down the lane of cars, "Safe, huh?"

"You did that on purpose!" Tony said furiously, settling back into the seat. 

"Darn right I did!" Peter shouted. "Wear a gosh dang seat belt!"

"I expect an apology," Tony insisted, waiting patiently. "Two words Pete, it's not that hard." 

Peter backed up into a space and turned off the car with a sigh, looking over guiltily. "You're right. Two words." He glanced up, taking the key out, "Screw you." Peter grinned and got out of the car and Tony shook his head, nostrils flaring as he got out as well. 

"You're a pain in my butt, you know that?" Tony swore, pointing at him furiously as he reached into the backseat to grab Peter's backpack. 

"No, that's just your sciatica," Peter taunted as he looped the car and tossed him his keys. 

"I'm sixteen," Tony sneered, catching them with one hand and shutting the door as they starting walking to the elevator. 

Peter turns and looks at him, "You take an idiot pill or something? What happened since Top of the Rock?"

"Oh, let me think, you jumped off a building?" Tony said angrily, looking sideways at him. 

Peter shook his head, "No, it was after that. Right when we texted Rhodey and, like, the whole car ride. Are you nervous or something? We're not changing you back until tomorrow, Tony. Right now we're just building stuff, which is what we're good at."

Tony paused for a second and took a deep breath, "Yeah. I know. No, I'm not nervous."

"Uh huh," Peter snorted. 

"I'm not! Ok? I'm fine," Tony snapped. 

Peter gives him a sideways look with a smug smile, "Would you tell me if you were?"

"Absolutely not," Tony responds simply.

Peter nods, "So...instead you become ten times more sarcastic and try and get on my every last nerve?"

Tony opens the door with a smile, "That's the plan, yeah."

"Whatever floats your boat," Peter shrugs. "I guess I can deal with that." Tony looks over at him in shock and Peter rolls his eyes, "Look if you're nervous and don't want to say anything, it's fine. We both resort to humor when crap hits the fan so I guess it makes sense. And I'll deal with it."

"Peter," Tony says seriously. 

Peter winces, "Who am I kidding? I can't do this. You're annoying. And when you turn back, I swear to God, I am never letting you live this down. I hope you're okay with that."

"I'm not," Tony admits, returning the fake smile Peter had given him. "But since when do we get what we want?"

The elevator doors open and they look out cautiously, before concluding that no one was there. Tony and Peter sprint down the hallway and shoulder the wall, ducking down the next hallway before rushing for the lab doors. Peter swipes his key and it opens, and he breaths a sigh of relief when he sees Rhodey at the right side of the lab, sitting in a chair, the dormant machine still lying in the center. 

"Thank God," Peter calls. "I can't babysit anymore." Tony flicks him in the head angrily and Peter rubs his curls, shooting out a hand to shove him in the shoulder as Tony goes to set down their bag on the nearest counter

"Peter!" Rhodey said happily, a slight smirk on his face, "Good to see you! How are ya?"

"I have a headache," Peter grumbled, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep sigh. 

Rhodey frowned, "Oh I'm sorry-"

"Hey Rhodes!" Tony grinned, dumping the pages of notes as he overturned Peter's backpack. 

Peter pressed both hands against his head, "There it is again." Rhodey gives him a knowing smile and Peter offers a weak, fake one back. "Ok, FRIDAY will be done with the codes by-"

_"Sooner than expected actually. I'll have them done by 1 am."_

"Awesome!" Peter grinned, hitting Tony's arm. "Ok, so we'll build as much of the GPS as we can, and then set the suit calibration up so it's ready to go for when we plug in the numbers."

Tony nodded, "I can get behind that. Rhodey, who's home today?"

"Pepper, Happy, Nat, and Steve. That's it though," he said firmly. "The others got held up at the conference, fortunate for you."

"Yeah, well we've still got some players on the board to worry about," Tony said firmly, sniffing and rubbing his chin. "It's like awkward hide and seek. You need to make sure they don't come in here, ok?" 

"And what are you guys gonna do?" Rhodey asked. 

Tony picked up a wrench and tossed it to Peter, pulling over a 3D screen. "What we do best."

"Arguing?" Rhodey grinned. 

"Very funny," Tony and Peter sneered. 

Rhodey slipped in about three hours later, finding Tony working alone on the nearest counter, an iPad in his hand as he assembled parts remotely. Rhodey jogged down the steps and looked around for the other teenager, who was nowhere to be found. Stopping by Tony's side he asked, "Where's Pete?"

"Don't call him Pete, he doesn't let people call him that," Tony said softly as he adjusted a bracket every so slightly. 

"You call him Pete," Rhodey frowned in confusion. 

Tony nodded, "Yeah, and? He went to get something from the lab upstairs. He should be right behind you, he's been gone for five minutes." On cue, the door opened and Peter snuck in, closing and locking it behind him, a small tool box in his hand. 

"What took you so long? Did you stop at a restaurant?" Tony joked without even looking up. 

Peter nodded to Rhodes, shooting a look at Tony as he dropped the small box down on the table and leaned against it, "Yeah, I did actually, Olive Garden. Dine in. It's the check that took forever."

"Nice bread sticks there," Tony says with an approving nod. "What did you get?"

"Got the shrimp Parmesan with a side of none of your business Tony," Peter snapped.

"Huh," Tony turned to Rhodey, putting a pencil behind his ear. "They've got a new dish. Did you get me anything?"

"Yeah, the shut the heck up salad," Peter snaps, opening the container and handing Tony a small screwdriver.

"No, the salad they serve is the big one that goes in the center," Tony corrects, accepting the tool before waving his hand. "You get it in this massive bowl with those metal clampers and the cheese-"

"I swear to God-" Peter snarls, his nostrils flaring. 

"Hey, hey, guys, guys," Rhodey says, putting his hands out to calm the two teenagers down. "I can tell you guys are getting on each other's nerves."

Peter rolls his eyes as he jumps up to perch on the counter, "Great observation."

Tony looks up in shock and splutters, "I don't have my glasses, Peter, is that- my God, is that Sherlock?"

"You know what? I think it is," Peter agrees. "It's an honor sir."

Rhodey sighs, putting his hands in his pockets and looking between the two, "Until you gang up to be sarcastic. Then you two seem perfectly fine."

"We do not," Peter grumbles, kicking Tony as he tried to place a small piece on the GPS. He missed Tony's glare as he turned back to Rhodey. "I have had it up to here with him." He raises his hand above his head.

"Yeah touche, brat," Tony shoots before poking him with the screwdriver. "And get off my counter."

"You sit on it all the time!" Peter protests as he jumps down. 

"But I think both of you," Rhodey says loudly, getting both of their attention with a slight smirk, "need to put aside your differences and focus on the key problem here, which is getting Tony back to normal."

"Oh really? I didn't know," Peter drawled, walking over to the nearest 3D screen and checking the progress they had made as levels popped up. 

Tony pointed at him, "See what I have to deal with?"

"Don't even with me, you're just as bad," Peter glared at him, sliding things over to another screen and adjusting some levels as more data poured in from FRIDAY's servers. 

"Am I though?" Tony sneered, tossing his head to Rhodey, signalling him to back him up. When there was silence, Tony took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder, "Rhodey? Am I just as bad?"

Rhodey shook his head, waving his hands in protest, "No, no, don't suck me into your constant arguing. All I'm saying is you guys need to get your heads in the game. We need all of those smarts to pull this off and we can't do it if you're constantly thinking up sarcastic remarks to shoot at one another."

"It's cause we were nice to each other earlier today," Peter supplies helpfully. "We can't be nice to each other."

"Speak for yourself, you jumped off a building for kicks. Almost gave me a heart attack," Tony grumbled as he straightened and wiped his hands, signaling Peter over and handing him the screwdriver. 

"He was worried about me," Peter grinned, snatching it and bending over to take a look at the wrist watch GPS they were building.

"Yeah," Tony slurred, ruffling his hair to piss the kid off. "Silly me. I should have been perfectly fine with you nosediving 849 feet."

Rhodey blinked, turning to the other teenager, "You jumped off a building Pete?"

Peter glanced up, "No offense Rhodes, but only Tony gets to call me that."

"Told you," Tony mouthed, raising a proud eyebrow.

Rhodey smirked and put up his hands in defense, "I stand corrected. But my question still stands. You jumped off a building?"

There's an echo in here," Peter drawled, shrugging as he squinted at the tech and adjusted some parts. "Why is everyone acting like it's this terrible thing? I'm Spiderman, yes, I jump off building. It's not that hard to grasp the concept."

"He's gonna be the death of me," Tony said firmly. "Mark my words. Well, I drank about seven gatorades over the past hour, I'm going to the bathroom and no, neither of you are coming with me," he added as Rhodey and Peter both looked up nervously. He rolled his eyes, "I will be perfectly fine, and if anybody questions it, I'll either go with the stupid story we made up or say I'm an intern." He walked to the door, held up a peace sign, and slipped out. 

Peter sighed, "Idiot." Then he bent down over the GPS again and began poking at it, making marks on the see through papers they had lined up that created the full prototype blueprints. 

"So how was your day with him?" Rhodey asked, gesturing to the door Tony had just walked out. 

"Great," Peter sighed. "He set me up with a girl I liked, exploded his suit in my room and saved a cat that was stuck in a tree." Rhodey's eyebrows raised and Peter shook his head, "Don't ask. He's not doing to well and he's covering it up, hiding it. Even from me. Just the sooner we get him back to normal, the better."

 _"Peter?"_

Peter looked up, "Yeah FRIDAY, hit me."

_"You may want to take a look at this."_

Peter froze and he got to his feet, shooting a worried look at Rhodes before he made his way over to the nearest 3D screen. Numbers and data popped up and Peter scanned it nervously, flicking through slides.

_"There's a problem with the energy surge. Quantum Realm energy is new to all of us. If we had had the proper techniques we could have achieved time travel, we still can. But what happened to Tony was a fluke, a one in a million chance."_

"Wait so he almost didn't come back at all?" Rhodey said slowly, looking at Peter incredulously.

 _"I'm still trying to understand how he did. The odds are not in his favor._ _Like you explained, instead of pushing him through time, we pushed time through him. That caused some...complications."_

"What do you mean complications?" Peter demanded, the kid starting to breath faster, his eyes wide and nervous, hands shaking, but somehow he remained focused. 

"Peter, what's she talking about?" Rhodey asked.

"I don't know Rhodes, I don't know-" Peter said, his voice cracking. "FRIDAY, talk to me."

_"Done right, someone could return to a different date in the past or future and could walk around just fine, even live a full life, granted it would be erasing some aspects of the timeline-"_

"Get to the point, FRIDAY!" Peter yelled, flipping through slides before his gaze fell on the bottom corner and he staggered back. "What the he-"

_"Tony coming back unharmed was a complete accident. He created a rip in space in time. Which poses the question...where is Tony at his proper age? I don't have an answer for that. But what I can say is that in some way, shape, or form, this 'screwed a lot of things up', as you all have put it. The one upside is that I can run numbers faster only because I have a smaller target range to focus on."_

"You can pinpoint and single out the fluctuating timelines that are in disarray because those are the ones affected," Peter nodded. "How helpful is that?"

_"Instead of shooting a can through a moving car, the can is now in the moving car."_

"So it does crap," Peter said angrily, slamming his fist down on the stool it broke.

"So, what does that mean?" Rhodey demanded. 

Peter's eyes were scanning the slides and levels on the bottom right corner as simulations popped up, replicas of the timeline they had screwed up flashing on the screen. "It means we messed up some timelines. Which isn't good. So they're wigging out. Yeah, it's easier to get him back to normal only because it's complete chaos but it also means if we don't get him back to normal and restore the timeline...we could lose him."

Rhodey turned in shock, "Lose him? Lose him where?" 

"I don't know!" Peter spluttered furiously. "In the quantum realm? In the rip of space and time? We have no idea how quantum energy works! All we know is that time getting pushed through him was not supposed to happen and now that it did it screwed something up really really bad and we have to change him back soon before it drags Tony to God knows where because I can't let that happen Rhodes- I-" Peter stumbled back against the counter, sinking down with his hands over his head, fisting his dark curls. "I can't let that happen-"

"Hey, hey Peter," Rhodes said, immediately rushing to the kid's side and clasping his shoulder. "Breathe," he said firmly, making eye contact with the shaking kid and asking. "FRIDAY, how long do we have before...something happens?"

_"My guess is two days. If that."_

"We have time," Rhodey said firmly. "We'll fix this before anything even happens, ok?"

Peter pressed his hands to his head and nodded, composing himself, setting his jaw and blinking harshly, "Ok, ok." Then he grabbed Rhodes' arm. "Tony can't know," he said firmly. 

"What?" Rhodey demanded. 

"Look, I can't do this by myself," Peter said weakly. "I'm not as smart as him and I'm not confident when he's not confident. I rely on him Rhodey. If he freaks out, I freak out and if he knows what's going on here, he'll freak out. It's already getting to him, Rhodes, trust me and we don't have any hours or minutes to just toss around." He made eye contact with Rhodey and shook his head, "I don't like lying to him, you know I don't, but we cannot tell him."

Rhodey nodded slowly, "You're right. FRIDAY, you catch all that?"

_"Yes, and sadly, I agree."_

"Hey, toss me that," Tony says and Peter looks up, grabbing the nearest tablet and passing it over. 

Rhodey looks at the two of them, “Can I help?” 

Tony looks up at his friend, “Yeah sure." He points. "Move that. And grab that and clock in seven degrees.”

“Nouns, Tony, I need nouns," Rhodey suppressed a smile. Peter sighed, walked over, and grabbed the 3D screen, swiping one of the data processors to the side before turning the dial up seven degrees, patting Rhodey's shoulder as he returned to his work. Rhodey nodded and clasped his hands, "Ok well, do both of you have another superpower I don’t know about? Telepathy maybe?”

“Nope.” Tony grinned, looking over his shoulder. 

Rhodey nodded, looking back and forth at the two of them, “Welp. I’ll be over here giving...moral support.” 

"You can tell me what color the levels are on the screen back there," Tony said, biting his lip as he tinkered at his small piece of tech. 

Rhodey walked over to the screen and clicked in, examining the different energy levels. Peter groaned, "Yeah, how are we coming with that? No problems, hopefully?”

"You might want to lower your standards,” Tony said, reading Rhodey's expression. "Well I guess we're packing a lunch then, it's gonna be a while."

"Yeah, this is not looking all that great. My guess is a couple more hours before you guys can make a basis on the energy levels needed to harness that much power for the suit," Rhodey said. 

Peter moved his work station to the side and ran his hands through his hair nervously and Rhodey eyed him in concern as he went over to his computer and sank into a chair, watching as Peter snapped up when Tony turned around. 

"Did you drink the last energy drink Pete?" Tony groaned as he shut the mini fridge in defeat. 

"Yeah," Peter called back.

Tony huffed, "That was mine."

"And when you called the police to tell them about this tragic incident, what did they say?" Peter asked sarcastically. 

"Oh, shut up." Tony threw a pencil at him and Peter ducked laughing. 

"I got one as a victory drink!" Peter protested, "I almost took off a finger snapping off the connector."

"You've got nine more," Tony shrugged. 

Rhodey watched the two of them work, seeing the plain dependency they had on one another, staying strong not for their benefit, but the other's. Tony had resorted to humor in no time as Peter tried to explain what he was doing, visibly stiffing a yawn.

Peter sighed, looking at him as he trailed off. “If I’m boring you, I’ll stop.”

“No please continue, I yawn when I’m genuinely intrigued," Tony smirked, rubbing his head. "I’ll withhold further comments until after your speech.” 

“It’s not a speech-” Peter said, exasperated.

“Easy kid,” Tony grinned. "Look, this section here, the energy flow will be calibrated by the central piece right, and distributed. We're good there, but don't work on this section because that needs the data input-"

They both looked up as Rhodey stood, his chair scraping against the ground. He held up his phone, "Needed in the conference room. I'll make sure no one needs to get in this lab."

"Thanks Rhodes," Tony says with a small, tired smile and Rhodey smiles as he slips out. Tony presses a hand against his head, "Ah, lack of sleep must be finally kicking in. I'm gonna need coffee soon. Does that make sense, Pete?"

"Yeah," Peter said firmly.

"Good, yay, go team," Tony smirks as he pushes off the counter and goes back to his small piece of tech. A couple minutes later he looks over his shoulder, “Are you done yet?”

“Patience!” Peter says slowly and Tony sighs, blinking as Peter finishes the last couple steps. He wipes his hands and slides the board down the counter, walking over and hoping up beside it. 

Tony gives him a look, "Congratufreakinglations Peter, you're finally done and I'm forty seven now. HA. Get it?"

"Yeah, don't quit your day job, old man," Peter pats his shoulder, walking over to the 3D screen as Tony assembles the watch. 

He pats it lovingly as he goes over to join Peter, "Now all we need is the data which we can plug in later. How's the suit coming?"

 _"Don't rush me,"_ FRIDAY says. _"This is precise work. You don't want to be caught in the fabric of space and time, do you?"_

Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shakes his head, "Yeah, somehow that didn't make my bucket list. It's a good and crazy thing that didn't happen the first time."

Peter looks down, not saying anything before he distracts himself with one of the tablets, checking some levels and running some numbers. Tony leans against the counter and raises an eyebrow, "Loosen up, kid. When you're stressed, I'm stressed." 

"Sorry," Peter grumbled, rubbing his hair. 

Tony nudges his shoulder, "Let's go get some food."

Peter scoffs before Tony actually starts walking for the door and Peter scrambles after him, "Woah- you're crazy. You kidding me?"

"Yes, I am crazy. And no I'm not kidding you," Tony says, opening the door of the lab and stepping out, looking down the hallway. "I'm tired of being cooped up. What's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Steve and Nat and Happy and Pepper could find out their friend- and husband- is now a sixteen year old?" Peter said, and Tony makes a face, closing the door behind him. "And we need to turn you back!"

"FRIDAY is no where near done with the numbers, it's gonna be fine," Tony said calmly. "Look, we're both strung out, we need a break. And I need some pizza. So here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna get some pizza, avoid everyone, and take a break."

Peter nodded slowly, "Fine, but not too long."

"Kid, are you not telling me something?" Tony asked as they walked down the hallway. 

"What? No," Peter said quickly. "I just- I want to make sure we turn you back, that's all."

Tony nodded, "And we will. But Rhodey's right. We've been way too uptight and sarcastic with each other lately and it's because neither of us are willing to admit that we're weirded out by this whole thing and nervous about what's gonna happen."

Peter snorted, "When did you become a counselor."

"Overnight," Tony snapped as they shouldered the wall and looked down the next hallway. He glanced over his shoulder, "I'm trying to be the adult here, cut me some slack."

Peter frowns, "I'm older, though?"

Tony shoots him a look, "Oh, shut up." They sneak into the cafe and grab trays, when suddenly Tony yanks Peter down, and they crouch behind an open table. Tony motions to Peter, nodding his head forward. Rhodey walks in with Steve on the other side of the cafeteria.

"Great," Peter hisses.

"Why'd he have to bring him here?" Tony groans. 

"Well he said he wouldn't let him in the lab, he never said anything about the cafeteria. He also assumed we would stay put," Peter sighed. 

Tony looked at Peter dully, "Do you need a lesson on what rhetorical means?"

"It's not like they're looking for us. We could just get our food and leave," Peter shrugs. 

"Yeah, but he'd recognize you," Tony said firmly. "And it looks like Captain Rogers has the same craving as we do. They're heading for pizza. Come on," he ducks his head and crawls around the table, Peter following him. 

"This is ridiculous," Peter hisses. "Just tell him!"

Tony looks behind him, "Are you kidding me? Steve is the number one person I don't want to tell." They both stop behind another table as Rhodey and Steve walk to the same line that Peter and Tony had been standing at a second later. 

Peter looks over, "Dude, we can just use the cousin story. Rhodey could back us up! Are you even listening to me? Tony!"

"He better not take my pizza," Tony grumbles, watching to see what Steve orders. Then he gasps, "Son of a- he took my pizza!"

"Shut up!" Peter whispers harshly, smacking Tony's shoulder as they duck again, Rhodey and Steve looking around at his outburst. He glares at him, "Really?"

"There's like fifty choices," Tony says angrily. "Why'd he have to-"

"I think you'll live. Look, we wait until he sits down, then we go to the other side, behind Steve's back and get whatever is over there."

"That's the salad bar though, and I'm not in the mood to be healthy," Tony sighs, screwing up his nose before his gaze catches someone who enters from the other side. "We have a bigger problem. Nat just walked in so that option is definitely out the window."

Peter curses and peeks over the top of the table. One of the ladies is staring at them from the opposite table and Peter and Tony grin awkwardly as they shrink back down. "It's an experiment. We're interns here- sorry to disturb you." He grabs Tony's sweatshirt and they crawl around to another table, siding up against the edge.

"Wow, you totally fooled her," Tony snickered, looking around for any other Avengers that tried to pop out of nowhere.

"I didn't see you helping me think up an excuse," Peter pointed out. "Look, we can just get out of here and grab some food somewhere else."

"I just really wanted pizza," Tony grumbled.

Peter turns to look at him, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Tony sighs. "Fine, fine, fine, fine. Let's just get out of here and I'll order it the old fashion way. I mean, I had a plan-"

"If I had a nickle every time you came up with a good plan, I'd be broke," Peter drawled. 

Tony frowns, "That's offensive."

"Good," Peter said. "How about you get out of here, and I'll get you the pizza. Sound good?" Tony nods and Peter tosses his head, "Ok, go. Stay low, I'll meet you out there."

"Don't stall," Tony points at him.

"Go," Peter sighs. Tony shakes his head and crawls across the floor, avoiding Rhodey and Steve. Nat was crossing the cafe on the other side and Peter eyed her as he stood and walked calmly to get pizza. Near the door, Tony scrambled to his feet and ran for the exit, pressing his back against the wall, out of sight. Peter shook his head, "Smooth."

Peter kept his back turned and head down, grabbing a plate of pizza and walking towards the door without any problems. He rounded the corner and Tony jumped, snatching the plate out of his hands happily. 

Peter rolled his eyes, "Now, was that so hard?"

"You got mushrooms on it?" Tony frowned, poking at the vegetable. 

Peter blinked, "You asked for pizza, Steve took yours, I got you pizza."

"It has mushrooms!" Tony said angrily. 

"Well then I'll eat it!" Peter said reaching for the plate. 

"No!" Tony swerved out of the way as Peter lunged and the plate tipped, the pizza falling to the floor. They both stared at it. "Good job, kid."

Peter rolled his eyes, "I'll call Dominos."

"This is," Tony said through a mouthful, "by far, the weirdest thing, that's every happened to me."

"Yeah, no crap," Peter said, grabbing another piece as they chewed on their respective slices on the ground. 

"Why do you have to have a sarcastic answer to everything I say?" Tony grumbled. 

"Sorry," Peter grinned, handing over the garlic sauce. Then he looked at the time and jumped up.

Tony gave him a look, "Where's the fire?"

"I want to keep working on the suit," Peter said firmly. "I just want it to be done so that by 1 am we're all ready."

"Kid, that's in more than a few hours, we have plenty of time," Tony laughed, clearly noticing Peter's weird behavior. "Look, before, I was the one who was pissed about this and all worried. But now it's you? Come on, Peter, you're supposed to keep me calm and collected."

"Sorry," Peter rubbed a hand over his face. "It's just we have one shot and I can't screw it up-"

"What do you mean one shot?" Tony asked suspiciously. "We have unlimited shots."

Peter's gaze snapped over and he couldn't hide his screw up, "Yeah...yeah, you're right."

"Peter, what are you not telling me?" he asked calmly. 

"Nothing," Peter sighed, grabbing a wrench and spinning it on his finger. 

"Kid," Tony said and Peter turned around slowly, looking down. "What are you not telling me? I know you're hiding something. I know you Pete, better than anyone."

"Rhodey and I...found out some stuff," Peter said slowly, leaning against the counter. "Tony, just forget about it, ok? It's gonna be fine."

Tony laughed without humor, "Really? You try that? Pete, start talking. Something's up." Clearly defeated, Peter slowly explained what FRIDAY had told them, and watched with a wince as Tony's gaze fell before he yelled, "And you didn't think to tell me this?"

Peter violently shook his head, "No! Because you'd freak out, like right now!" he protested.

Tony got to his feet and spoke incredulously, “So you lied to me?” Tony was shocked.

Peter frowned, waving his hands, “Nonononono. I didn’t tell you. There’s a big difference.”

"There's really not," Tony countered. "What the heck Peter? I could die and you thought that was a good thing to write down in your diary and gossip with Rhodes but not tell me, the one person it affects?"

"The one person?" Peter splutters. 

"Yeah! You know, some people might want to know that they could die if this thing doesn't work! I don't know, it could motivate me a little bit!" he snarled, shaking his head in anger and turning around, running his hands through his hair. 

"Or do this!" Peter said, motioning to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony demanded. 

"Don't even with me, you know I made the right call, you're just too scared to admit it."

"Too scared?" Tony shouted. "Are you kidding me right now? I am a _sixteen year old_ Peter, and I haven't lost my mind just yet. I think that qualifies me of the non scared award."

"Look, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I didn't want to freak you out, that's all, ok?" Peter said. "Maybe you wanted me to tell you, I'm sorry I didn't, but I wanted to spare this craziness, get the job done-"

"And then, what, tell me after?" Tony scoffed. 

"Yes," Peter said. "Look, I thought I was protecting you. I thought I was helping."

"Well you weren't, kid," Tony spat. "Thanks but no thanks, I think you should leave that job to me."

"I have," Peter yelled, "This entire time I have! I have tried but it's hard enough when you're an adult, imagine when you're actually younger than me, Tony!"

"Don't turn this into some sob story Pete, it's my job to protect you," he said firmly. Tony pressed a hand against his head, "This is what you didn't want, right? This fight?"

"Yes!"

"Well then why didn't you tell me right off the bat, huh? Maybe it would have been easier?" Tony suggests angrily. 

"I didn't know what to do," Peter said, and his voice cracked, making Tony back down. But Peter only got angrier due to the show of emotion, "Look, we've got two days to do this, I was panicking, and I didn't tell you, ok? I didn't tell you because I thought if you didn't know you wouldn't have so much pressure and it would be easier. It's not like I had your worst interests in mind, I'm trying to help you here!"

"Well maybe I don't need help! Maybe I don't need saving. Maybe this is the universe trying to screw me over and it finally happened, but at least it tells me!"

"You know what, Tony?" Peter says finally, his nostrils flaring. "Screw you."

"Is that your way of saying I'm sorry?" Tony sneers. 

"No. I mean screw you. You're not a saint," Peter says angrily. 

"Oh, I know that," Tony scoffs. 

Peter breaks into a smile that has no humor behind it. "Do you? I'm tired of how you turn everything into a joke."

"And you don't?" Tony shoots back. "So you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

"I guess so," Peter nods, grabbing his bag. 

"Where are you going, kid?" Tony sighs. 

"To go actually save people, if you don't want me to save you," Peter says furiously, slamming the door shut. "I'll be back in an hour. You wanted me to take a break? I'm taking a break."

"Yeah, you do that, kid. Thanks for actually telling me when you'll be back," Tony called after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well the boys fighting is never good, especially at the moment....because...priorities.  
> I hope you liked it! Please tell me whatcha thought, stay healthy, and stay tuned! New chapter in the coming days hopefully longer, i know this one was a little short.  
> I love you all 3000


	8. Slightly Sidetracked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readerssss! Longest chapter yet, a whole bunch of action, one huge bank robbery, and lotssss of sarcasm. Tony lets Peter run point on this one and they patch some stuff up from last chapter :)  
> Kind of a tangent that none of us were expecting, but let's be honest- it's Tony and Peter, some crazy crap is bound to happen. AnYwAyyyyy I hope you all are staying safe and sane and healthy! This is a crazy time XD Enjoy the rest of your weekend and enjoy the chapter! Your comments and support have been awesomeeee I really appreciate it!  
> <3 read on awesome people

Tony was leaning against the counter when Rhodey came back in. And Tony could tell his friend immediately knew something was wrong. He absentmindedly twirled a wrench on his finger, glaring at the floor as Rhodes walked slowly down the steps.

"Where's Peter?" he asked nervously. 

"On a break. I bet he's talking a walk, looking at the sunshine- how could you not tell me Rhodes?" Tony demanded, finally meeting his friend's eyes. 

Rhodey blanched and sighed, "It slipped out, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it _slipped out_ ," Tony crossed his arms. "The cat has _ripped_ through the bag- I already heard Peter's excuse so now it's your turn. What the heck, man?"

His friend sighed and sank down in the nearest chair, "Look, I was all for telling you, but Peter convinced me not to."

"Ok, so you're off the hook, sort of, now I just gotta kill my kid when he gets back," Tony said angrily, shooting him a look. 

"Tony," Rhodey said firmly and he turned around. "It was the right call not to. You should have seen him! At the thought of losing you, he shut down. Like panic attack shut down. He did the right thing, and if I could go back and do it again, I still wouldn't tell you."

"Is that supposed to be a time machine joke?" Tony snapped. 

Rhodey grinned, "I didn't think about it that way."

"Good, cause' it wasn't funny," Tony said firmly. 

Rhodey cut his smile. "Look, the reason why I didn't tell you was because of Peter. And I don't know what kind of argument you guys brewed up this time, but the reason why Peter didn't want to tell you wasn't for your benefit, it was for his own. He was just probably too embarrassed to admit that. He's slowly getting your ego."

"What do you mean?" Tony said suspiciously. 

Rhodey rolled his eyes, "Peter idolizes you, Tony. He looks up to you! When you're happy, he's happy, when you freak out, he freaks out. He needed to believe he could save you. He's been so worried about you this entire time, he hasn't seen what it's been doing to him!" Rhodey sighed, "You two rely on each other, heck, you're practically codependent. He needed to be strong for you but he feels like he can't do that now or at least can't be strong enough now that you found out that you're-"

"Finding out that I'm dying in twenty four freaking hours-"

"Forty eight," Rhodey corrects. "That was FRIDAY's guess."

"Whatever! Knowing I'm dying in 'enter time amount here' does not change my mood!" Tony spluttered.

Rhodes raised an eyebrow, "Sure it doesn't. And let me ask you something. Did you say _anything_ you didn't mean to Peter?" Tony narrowed his eyes and Rhodey knew he was right. He sighed, "Tones, I'm your best friend and I know you do your best work when you're driven. When you're worried and time crunched, or in this case, told you're going to die...different story."

Rhodey clasped his hands and nodded, "You know who else knows that? Peter. You two are meant to build stuff together, but it's bad enough Peter knew the stakes were high, he didn't want you to have that pressure too, because the minute you crack, the kid's gonna fall apart trying to be the one holding you both up."

"You done?" Tony drawled. 

"What, I get too accurate?" Rhodey grinned. "You know he made the right choice and you also know if roles had been reversed, you would have done the same thing and probably convinced me not to too."

"Ok, maybe that's true," Tony said defensively before pointing at his friend. "But we are not codependent."

"Yeah," Rhodey snorts. "Ok. Don't be too harsh on the kid. You're not the only one who gets protective."

Tony makes a face at him before running a hand through his hair as he turns to the nearest screen that is alive with blinking numbers, "FRIDAY, how are we looking?" 

_"Still on schedule. There is nothing else you can do here until 1 am."_

"Good, cause' I've got a kid to find," Tony said, grabbing the keys off the counter. He turned to look at Rhodey and sighed, walking backwards for the door, "If I ever need a counselor, I know who to go to."

"Was that a thank you?" Rhodey called. 

"Absolutely not. And don't think for a second I'm gonna tell you next time you have a weird thing happen to you that somehow makes you combust after two days," Tony warned him with a grin.

"I won't count on it," Rhodey shouted back. "You're welcome!"

Peter flipped up, landing on top of a nearby building and sitting down with a large sigh. He yanked off his mask and ruffled his hair, looking down at the city. He had to go back in a bit, because Peter knew he could only stay out for so long before his worry got the better of him and he kept working on the suit. Being mad at Tony, especially given the current situation, was hard, but Peter was still furious at Tony for getting pissed, knowing he would have done the same. And he was even more mad at himself for not explaining the real reason.

Although worn down and tired, he felt the energy for one more small job and Peter tapped into his mask after shoving it back on, syncing into the police scanners.

The feedback hit his ears and the transmission crackled, _"We've got a call in."_

Peter stood as the policeman rambled off an address and he lunged off the building, swinging towards the road as he got the details. Cop cars were blocked in traffic and they needed all available units to report. It was a bank robbery, with hostages. This wasn't the small job he had been hoping for, but there was no way Peter was going to let this one slide. 

He cut a corner, spinning midair as he shot another web and gained momentum, launching himself off a balcony and nose diving before being yanked up with another web. He spiraled down as he landed in a roll a couple feet away from the entrance to the bank. He guided everyone away, a few cops there taking charge to create a pedestrian line. 

_"There are four entrances Peter: one the right side, the front, back, and roof. I suggest roof access,"_ Karen supplied.

"Reading my mind," Peter says, flinging himself to the top of the roof after scaling the side. He flipped up, landing on one knee and sprinting to the door on the roof, yanking it open and dropping down. He landed in a crouch, narrowing his eyes. 

_"One man 60 yards around the corner to your left."_

"Where does he think he's going?" Peter asked, sprinting the hallway and sliding, webbing the man's feet to the ceiling and punching him across the face, instantly knocking him out. Peter webbed him to the wall and then dropped down from the high ceiling upside down, lowering himself on a web.

He stays in the shadows, bringing himself back up and sticking to the rail on the side of the wall. Now that he's out of sight and has got a good view, he can get a grasp of what he's dealing with. There are people gathered on the floor in the center, being held by gunpoint while other men gather money along the sides.

There has to be a way some guards break off so Peter can web them up one by one. He knows if he goes in guns blazing, the men will threaten the hostages and Peter can't let that happen. That would be game over for him.

Just as he wishes there would be some sort of split off of some of the guards so he can start picking them off, there's commotion on the other side of the room. Peter sees a boy fighting the man holding him by the arm, their backs turned.

 _"Check the back and dump this kid in a closet or something, he's caused enough trouble,"_ Karen amplifies their discussion for him. 

The man drags the kid down the hall and Peter raises his eyebrows, impressed, as the teen gets a fist out and clocks the guy across the head. But the retaliation is much worse as the guard snarls and slams the butt of the gun into the boy's head. With a cry of pain, now dazed and confused, he's dragged out of the room. Peter has yet to see his face. He crawls along the ceiling and finds a vent, sliding inside and listening for voices as he makes his way down the hall to follow. 

"The kid broke my nose!" he hears someone growl and Peter turns right, hovering over another vent that leads to a room.

"Served you right," came a younger sneer and Peter's gaze fell; he recognized the voice. He gently removed the vent and snuck across the ceiling, finding himself in a storage room. As he made his way forward, he saw where the men had ended up, behind the farthest cabinet. There were two, and the kid was on his knees in front of them, hand coming away bloody from a nasty cut on his cheekbone from the gun.

"You let this kid get a drop on you?" the other guard sneered.

"Yeah, cause' he doesn't have a pair," Tony snarled. 

"You've got to be kidding me," Peter swears a little too loud. 

Both guards turn with their guns and Peter holds his breath. "Did you hear something?" one man asks. 

"Maybe it's your sister, you know she's been meaning to call me-" Tony pipes up. 

The man on the left whirls, smacking Tony across the face and Peter lunges protectively, his chest heated. He lands in fury, webbing the man who had hit Tony and tosses him into the far wall. He goes after him and kicks him in the chest, ducking a swipe and shoulder-checking him into a cabinet which promptly collapses. Peter webs him to it and spins, hearing a click. He had forgotten about the second guard in his anger and now he had a loaded gun trained on Peter's chest.

"Spiderman," the man grins. "About time you showed-"

Tony swings the fire extinguisher he had yanked off the wall and it catches the man across the head, instantly knocking him unconscious. Tony grins, "You're welcome. What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Peter demands, ripping off his mask. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Look kid, I saw them coming. Their cars were the definition conspicuous and so were their guns. I was close, so I slipped in the bank right before they decided to rob it- thought I could help once you got here," Tony protested, tossing the fire extinguisher aside. 

"Normal people run the opposite direction of something like this," Peter said angrily. 

Tony smiled, "I guess that makes me not normal then."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Peter snarled. "Wait- why are you here anyway?"

Tony looks down, "I talked to Rhodes. He- he told me why you didn't want to tell me and- we should probably save this for a later time. Cause' it's a longer talk than what I think we can fit in right now," Tony checked his watch. "I have an appointment in 15 minutes. Kidding, we just...need to go save some people."

Peter looked over his shoulder, "Yeah, right. We? You get out of here and I'll meet you back at the compound."

Tony grabs Peter's arm, "Woah, woah, woah, were you not listening to me?"

"No," Peter shook his head with a slight smirk. "No, not really. I kind of just watched your mouth move and didn't-"

Tony scowled, "Kid, I got myself into this mess on purpose."

"Which was stupid," Peter added.

"Hey, it was smart," Tony corrected. "I knew you would get here. You need another person on this, Pete, you can't do this alone. Please?"

“Oh well since you used the magic word," Peter scoffed, which earned a glare from Tony. He shook his head and turned for the door, "I can take care of this by myself."

Tony nodded, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah, I'm sure. You don't need any help. These guys are highly trained and they've got more guns than you've face before but you can handle that. A getaway car should be coming any minute to the back door because that's the only one that isn't guarded."

"How did you figure that out, huh?" Peter demanded.

"I was sneaky."

"What about the massive guns?"

"I was _very_ sneaky."

"Until you got caught," Peter nodded.

"Well yeah," Tony nodded before raising an eyebrow, "But I'm sure you already knew that. So tell me your big awesome plan of single handedly taking down all the baddies. How's it going for ya?" Tony asked innocently, bouncing on the balls of his feet with a smile.

"You made your point," Peter sighed. 

"Good," Tony said firmly. "I came in here to help. I'm not leaving, so tell me what to do. Don't waste this opportunity Peter, I'm letting you run point on this one. That segways into something else we need to talk about. I need to... let you grow up more."

Peter blinked. "Are you seriously turning this into a chick flick right now, Tony?"

"Hey!" Tony screwed up his face, "You're the one that stormed out!"

"I appreciate the sentiment," Peter sighed, running a hand over his face

"Good. Because you're in charge of this one," Tony said firmly. "Ok?"

"You're serious?" Peter asked slowly, hesitating as he reviewed his options.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Tony sighed.

"Always," Peter admitted before he nodded slowly. "Ok." He thought back to when he had Karen bring up the footage from the cameras as Tony went and grabbed the man's gun. "I tapped into the secuirty cameras and there's only four gu-" Peter started.

“How do you know that?” Tony exclaimed, hoisting the gun strap over his shoulder.

“I’m a person too, I’m allowed to know things," Peter said slowly.

“Yeah but _how_ do you know that?” Tony asked again with a raised eyebrow. 

“I found the connection source, locked onto it and bypassed their system grid.” Peter said casually.

Tony shook his head, "Not possible. Your suit isn't able to do that yet." Then his face fell and he sighed, "You hacked that protocol, didn't you?"

“No I did not hack the protocol," Peter scoffed unconvincingly, blinking a couple of times before he shrugged, "Ok fine, maybe I hacked the protocol. That is _not_ the point, the point is that we now know who's where so I can take them out. See? Positive outcome.”

"Multi million dollar suit and he hacks it," Tony shakes his head in disbelief. 

"You need to call the police, tell them to block off the back. They can't get out through the front so there's only one way the getaway car is going. Find a phone and use it."

"You're hacked into their police scanner, why can't you just use that?" Tony demands. "Is this some side mission for me to do to stay out of action?"

Peter presses a hand against his forehead, "Look, I don't want New York's finest knowing that I am piggybacking off their server! Some of them already don't like me. I'm the city's vigilante, Tony. And they may not believe it if it comes from a piece of advanced tech. They won't be able to track the source."

"So they won't know if it's reliable. Fine," Tony huffed in satisfaction. "It's not a baby mission."

"You're welcome," Peter said before he ran a hand over his hair, "Ok, so like you said, only way out is through the back and one of the ways out is a dead end in an alley so they would have to drive down the main road. This is 11th street so what's the street over one-" Peter regretted that last sentence as it came out. 

Tony was already starting to smile, "All A's and he doesn't even know what number comes after 11. It's 13, Peter, or is it 14?" Tony says seriously, keeping a straight face.

Peter glared at him, "You done?"

Tony smirks, "Yeah. Karen, tap into my comms." He slips an earpiece on from his jean pocket. "What can I say, I'm prepared. You should take notes."

"Pull earpiece out of pocket in cocky fashion, got it," Peter rolls his eyes. "Is there gonna be a test at the end cause' I don't know if I can remember all that-"

Tony shoves him in the shoulder, "The force is strong with you, but you're not a Jedi yet." Peter doesn't have a retort for that one and Tony grins, "So the way I get you to shut up is by talking in star wars references, got it."

Peter ignores him and points to the ceiling, "The vent. You need to get to the stairwell, I cleared it. You can get around without being spotted. I don't want them to know you're working with me on this one. If they think you just strayed from the hostages they might not kill you on the spot."

"That's the kind of reassurance I live for," Tony grins as they cross the room before looking up and questioning nervously. "Where does this lead?” 

"The magical world of Narnia, Tony,” Peter drawls, rolling his eyes as he crouches and clasps his hands for Tony to step on. "It runs through the entire building, I already checked blueprints with Karen."

Tony cracked his knuckles, setting the gun down and allowing Peter to help him up, purposely messing up his hair as he puts a hand on his head to hoist himself up. "I will gladly drop you," Peter threatens.

Tony grabs the edge of the vent and pulls himself up and slides in, taking the gun from Peter. He looks in the dark shaft and shrugs, "You know, this is not my first time in vents. We played a prank on Clint at the compound, remind me to tell you about it after this is all over."

"Right because that's definitely number one on our list of priorities," Peter said. "How about turning you back from a teenager?"

"I'm a teenager?" Tony gasped, " _I had no idea._ Oh, you know what I also found out? I'm gonna die if this doesn't work. Isn't that cool?"

"Are you trying to start a fight?" Peter asked through gritted teeth.

"Absolutely not, Underoos," Tony winks, twisting his position. "We'll save the fight for later."

"Oh joy, can't wait," Peter scoffs as he goes to put the vent back up.

Tony peaks out, making eye contact with him, his tone sobered, "Kid...be careful."

"You too," Peter said firmly, giving a small smile before yanking his mask back on. He slips out of the door and presses a hand to his ear, "You copy?"

 _"Yeah, I copy. It's cold in here- you didn't tell me it was cold,"_ Tony complains.

"Oh, I'm very sorry sir, wait a second while I transfer you to customer service," Peter drawls. 

_"I'm giving this place 1 star,"_ Tony grumbles in response.

"For what, their vents not being heated?" Peter snorts as he runs, shouldering the wall. 

_"Yeah. After I find a phone what do you want me to do?"_ Tony asks. _"And don't say stay out of it."_

"I need some way to take out some guards in the main hall without being spotted," Peter says slowly as he reaches the balcony and climbs to the ceiling. 

_"Oh! I could run through the hall firing a gun like Han and Chewie did in Star Wars,"_ Tony suggested. _"Then they'd follow me."_

"Star Wars plans are my thing. Great plan by the way, up until the point when you get shot. It's not gonna work. Any better ideas?" Peter said, scanning for enemies on the second level.

 _“I’m getting tired of you shooting down my ideas,”_ Tony interrupted.

“Then have good ones," Peter shot back.

 _"Did you take the mean pill today?"_ Tony scoffed. _"Ease up. Eat a snickers or something."_

"I haven't had lunch," Peter snapped, seeing two men he could easily take out in one of the upstairs rooms with a safe.

_"Well then after this we'll go get some Shwarma. Really nice place, we went there as a victory meal after the alien battle-"_

"Focus, Tony! I need a plan!" Peter hissed.

 _"Oh now you want my help?"_ Tony demands. _"And I thought you said I make crap plans!"_

"You do," Peter said, swinging forward and dropping down on the landing of the stairs, sprinting forward and kicking in the door. "But a crap plan is better than no plan, so think of something." A man looked up, pointing his gun and Peter webbed it, flinging it away. 

_"Ok, ok, uh...another option for ya. I could reroute all the circuit boards and maybe fry em'? I could give you a 15 second window of black before the backup generators kick in,"_ Tony suggested.

"Brilliant. That's the second option? Are you only Einstein when you want to be? Is it like a switch?" Peter asked, ducking a bunch and webbing the man's foot to the floor, sliding under his other leg and kicking him in the back. 

Tony snorted, _"I would suggest teasing anyone but me about their intelligence. Who has two master’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics by age 19? Do you? No, I didn't think so."_

"Oh, shut up," Peter said, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it to get a punch to his side, kicking him in the back of his leg and slamming his elbow across his head. The man slumped unconscious and Peter straightened. "Karen, pull up blueprints and tell Tony where to go."

_"Sure thing."_

_"Oh would you look at that? It's our lucky day, it's closer than we thought- I'm almost there. I think there's a dude though,"_ Tony's voice becomes quieter as he approaches.

Peter makes his way down the hallway, seeing if there are anymore stray guards that could turn into snipers once he makes his fist appearance in the main hall. He's been monitoring the men down there, and it seemed he wasn't heartless; as long as the hostages didn't move, they were fine. And so far, none of them were putting a foot out of line. He put a hand to his ear, "Hey Karen, can you do me a favor and make sure these guys aren't getting out of here?"

 _"I thought you'd never ask,"_ Karen said happily. Peter's reconnaissance drone unclicked from his suit and Peter grinned as it zipped away. 

_"You unlocked your reconnaissance drone too?"_ Tony demanded harshly, still whispering.

"His name is droney," Peter said firmly.

 _"You've got to be kidding me,"_ Tony swore and Peter smirked. Then Tony grumbled, " _Ok_ , _I'm gonna hopefully surprise this dude, we'll see how this goes. Going dark. I've always wanted to say that."_

"I'll still be able to hear you- never mind," Peter sighed as he crept along the ceiling, dropping down behind the guard posted at the top of the steps, clasping a hand over his mouth and tackling him backwards Peter dragged him out of sight of the steps and webbed him to the wall, smacking his gun against his head. The man's chin slumped down to his chest and Peter shot a web at the ceiling, sticking to the corner again. 

He ignored the commotion and curses in his ear as he crawled along the ceiling, his gaze snapping to one of the man who put a finger to his ear and asked a question, clearly getting no response. The men were getting antsy now that Peter had taken out half their crew and word was starting to spread that no one was picking up. They began to look around and Peter shifted nervously.

"How's it coming in that control room Tony?" he asked.

 _"I'm- a bit- busy!"_ Tony yelled. _"Son of a-"_ There was a large crash and then a sound of a few punches before Tony breathed a sigh of relief and he heard a creak in the chair. _"Ok, one black eye later, I now run this place. Let me hack a firewall and then I'll see what this baby has to offer. And I've got the phone ready to make a call."_

"Ned's gonna be offended," Peter grinned. 

_"I am not your guy in the chair!"_ Tony yelled. _"I have security cameras up on my screen too. Jeez. How they don't see you, I have no idea, your suit is so flashy against the wall."_

"Well they're not really expecting their enemy to be sticking on the ceiling. Not yet at least, which is why I really need you to cut the power soon, before they figure out who they're dealing with," Peter said urgently, shrinking into the shadows, keeping an eye on the guns trained on the innocent civilians and workers. 

_“I’m coming.”_ Tony sighed.

Peter glanced around, “And so’s Christmas. And it will probably get here before you get those lights off. What's taking so long?”

_"I'm booking tickets to Disneyland, Peter, what do you think? It's a bank and I don't have my tech, meaning I'm doing this manually so it's taking a while. Would you like to give it a shot?"_

Peter sighed, staying silent for a few minutes, until a couple men emerged from the vault with bags full of money. Dang, he thought, this is a 20 man job, they were serious. Peter didn't need to know what they were saying to know they were wrapping things up. He tensed, legs itching to jump forward and swing down, taking out the biggest threats first. He put a hand to his ear, "Tony-"

 _"Chill, brat, it's ready. You've got 15 seconds,"_ Tony said and Peter heard a click. 

He sprung forward, his lenses switching to night vision as all the lights shut off, the room becoming pitch black. He swung, trapping men against the wall and disarming them as chaos ensued. 

_"4 seconds!"_ Tony warned. 

Peter took out one last man before he launched himself into a corner, breathing hard and glancing over his shoulder. The lights turned back on, screams fading as the remaining men silenced everyone while whirling around, trying to figure out where their partners went. Money rained down from one of the bags Peter had slammed a man into.

_"I feel like you just went bowling. How many did you get?"_

Peter counted, "I got seven. There's four left, I could get them on the next round."

 _"Spare,"_ Tony snickered.

"Shut up. Can you do that again?"

_"Yeah, but it's gonna take me a bit to bypass the generator firewall. That one isn't standard, it's old tech with barely any connectors. And then- Peter, down the hallway to your right. Either you missed one or you didn't hit him hard enough."_

Karen had just alerted him the exact same thing and Peter dove out of the way and shots sprayed the hallway. He heard the man scream into his coms, _"It's Spiderman!"_

"I didn't hit him hard enough," Peter cursed as panic spread throughout the building like a blanket.

 _"Well the cat's out of the bag,"_ Tony sighed. _"A lot of cats have been getting out of bags today. We should buy more Hefty."_

"I appreciate you trying to be funny," Peter peaked out only to whip back as more bullets hit the wall he was taking cover behind. "But it's not helping." He saw some other men on the other side of the building take the stairs and he pressed a hand to his ear, "Tony, you've got two men coming to you. Be ready."

 _"I've got time. Look, the guy on you? He's waiting for you to pop out, he's got the finger on the trigger. Meaning eventually he's gonna have to reload. Stick your head out a couple more times and I'll tell you when he's out of amo,"_ Tony said firmly. _"Like Whack-a-mole."_

"But with bullets instead of a plastic hammer- you're betting my life on an arcade game?" Peter demanded. 

_"I'm gonna save your life because of an arcade game,"_ Tony corrected. _"You got 20 meters kid, make it count."_

Peter cursed and juked in front of the hallway, diving to the side. The man pulled the trigger, letting rounds fire by the dozen. Peter took cover as shots peppered the floor and wall he was behind, waiting a couple more seconds before he heard a click and the bullets stopped.

_"Go!"_

Peter lunged out and sure enough the man's guard was down as he lowered his gun to reload. Peter drove a knee into his stomach and ripped the gun from his grasp, flinging it to the side. He webbed both of his hands and twisted, yanking them down before flipping over. Grabbing the man's ankles, he jumped for the ceiling, webbing him to the wall before roundhouse kicking him across the head. 

_"Okay Jackie Chan,"_ Tony clapped. 

"Your commentary is insane," Peter couldn't help but laugh.

_"Wax on, wax off. You weren't exactly quiet, so you've got three more up the stairwell."_

"We need to take out the men in the center soon. I've at least got to stun them to get them away from the hostages. Any ideas?" Peter asked. 

_"Funny how all my plans are working,"_ Tony said smugly. _“They're to your left! Left! Go left! ”_

“It’s a wall Tony!” Peter grumbled, “I can’t _go_ left!”

 _"That's your right smart aleck!"_ Tony shot back. 

Peter turned the other way and saw the men approaching, grumbling a response to be quiet before he tucked and rolled, shooting two webs at the men's feet as he somersaulted over them. 

_“Another bad guy, five o'clock!”_

"Bad guy? Very original." Peter turned and got a fist to the side after ducking a shot at his head. He stumbled back, blocking the next one and kicking his foot back, his heel sinking into the man who was trying to reach for his gun. Peter took another hit to the face and he groaned.

_“Now he’s punching you, kid!”_

“Yeah, I know that!” Peter yelled, ducking the next punch and hooking his foot around the man's leg, flipping him over his shoulder and checking the last one in the chest. 

_"Nice one, I feel like I'm watching WWE."_ Just then Peter heard a massive thud through coms and his eyes went wide at the thought of Tony getting hurt. About to put a hand to his ear, his shoulders relaxed as he heard the explanation. _"Don't worry, I barricaded the door. You've got a minute more of my precious time and then I have to go punch some people."_

"Ok, think. Think. Oh! The- the- things!" Peter said firmly.

 _"Nice, Pete, very specific,"_ Tony drawled. _"You know what? That could work!"_

Peter ignored his sarcasm. "They all have com links right? I saw the guy put a hand to his ear-" he asked suddenly. 

_"Are you thinking out loud? Or.."_ Tony said blankly. 

"Can you tap into their com link and produce a feedback signal that can at least stun them for a couple seconds so I can go in and disarm them?"

 _"Yeah, yeah, I can do that- hey, pay attention! T_ _hey're shooting at you, kid!"_ Tony yelled through coms, clearly having eyes on the security camera at the end of the hallway.

Peter ducked as his spider senses flared, bullets whizzing over his head. He rolled forward and jumped off the wall to avoid some more shots, snarling, “Thank you for your valuable input!”

 _"Maybe they're mad at you cause' you crashed their birthday party,"_ Tony suggested.

“You know what Tony? You are so unbelievably helpful!” Peter yelled, swinging to the ceiling and shooting a web grenade at the two men who got slammed into the far wall.

_"Unhelpful my- watch your six!"_

"Yeah-" Peter turned around and shot a web, spiraling forward and punching the man in the face before he could even get a shot off. He ducked another swing and shot a web at the gun to disarm the gun, letting it clatter across the floor as he landed a kick to the man's gut and webbed him in the chest. Peter yanked him forward, slamming his fist down before tossing the man into the corner, webbing his arms. 

"Spiderman!" 

Peter whirled, his eyes widening. He couldn't see where he knew the voice was coming from so tapped into a camera. Despite already knowing what he would see, his face fell even more as the image loaded and he put a hand to his ear with a curse cursed, "Tony, you getting this?"

 _"Yeah,"_ Tony said firmly. _"I see him Pete-"_ there was a loud crash and Tony yelped, _"the door busted. Great timing. Be right back-"_

Peter walked slowly to the edge of the balcony, looking over and seeing one of the main men standing in the center, looking around, a gun to a woman's head. 

"Spiderman! Show yourself or she dies!"

Peter didn't need to be told twice. He jumped off the balcony and flipped down, landing at the very end of the room. "Let her go! She didn't do anything," he shouted before Karen muted his external mike and he hissed, "Tony, I hope you're close to cracking into their coms. Please tell me you're close."

Tony, who was being strangled on the floor, drove his knee into the man's back, looping an arm around his head as he flipped him off of him. Tony spun on the floor, kicking him backward and the man fell with arms flailing, through the broken door, sliding down the hallway. Tony gasped for breath and scrambled back over to his chair, yanking the other unconscious guard off the laptop. He put a hand to his ear, “No Pete, I’ve been playing Flappy Bird.” 

_"Well hurry up. I don't know how long I can keep this guy talking."_

Tony's eyes flicked across the screen and he quickly cracked the third firewall, searching for the connection. "It's not like I'm taking my time Pete," he said urgently. "Hey, ask him if he got most likely to be a bank robber as his yearbook quote."

 _"Yeah, that totally won't piss him off,"_ Peter shot back. 

"Just saying," Tony cracked a smile, before it quickly fell. He checked the screen again before cursing, "We have a problem."

 _"Can you be more specific?"_ Peter hissed. 

"I can't direct the feedback, just produce it," Tony winced. 

_“What does that mean?”_

“What do you think it means?” Tony demanded. 

_“I don’t know Tony, maybe that’s why I asked the question in the first place!”_

"It means if I blast the feedback, you're gonna get hit too!" Tony shouted angrily as he shook his head, "We're figuring something else out, ok? New plan, this one's a bust."

 _"Dude, just let her go! We can talk about this!"_ Peter yelled to the man before he hissed _, "No, do it anyway. I can take it."_

"Kid, with your super hearing? This could knock you out!"

_"Well I hope it doesn't. It's the only shot we have, Tony! He's gonna kill her!"_

"Peter!" Tony protested, watching in panic as the man continued yelling and threatening with the gun, Peter babbling to keep him stalled.

 _"Tony, can you send the signal or not?"_ Peter yelled, not bothering to mute his mic this time. _"Do it now!"_

Tony cursed and hit the button, pushing back from the chair and slamming his fist down on the desk. He didn't even look at the camera but he could hear Peter's scream as he grabbed the fallen gun, leapt over the unconscious guard, and ran for the steps. 

Peter had been next to a fire alarm once at school when it went off. Sent him into a panic attack and it took Ned about an hour to calm him down after that. This was about ten times worse, which fortunately meant it skipped over the panic attack phase and just sent him into adrenaline coated shock. Good thing was he wasn't the only one hit. The other men had fallen to their knees and gripped their ears just as he had so when Peter staggered to his feet somehow, blinking tears out of his eyes, he was one step ahead. 

Crying out in pain and not even hearing himself, Peter realized he was pretty much deaf at the moment, ringing still echoing in his head as he lunged forward and tackled the man who had let go of the woman. 

He punched him hard across the face and got up, webbing the next man in the back- no he missed; he was so off balance. Oops. Peter shot again and this time felt it make contact. He yanked it with all of his might before staggering forward and kicking the man into the wall. Peter winced, stumbling to a stop, nearly collapsing on the floor, white spots threatening to invade his vision. 

Peter groggily leaned against the wall and moved behind it as a shot rang out and exploded the concrete he had been standing against. He could feel blood trickling out of his left ear as he clumsily shot a web, somehow hitting the man's gun. Peter flicked his wrist and it flew out of the man's hand as Peter shot another web, swinging forward and slamming into the man who had fired at him- literally slamming, just body checking him and hoping it did the trick, which fortunately, it did.

Peter hit the ground tripping over his own feet, hand clutched against his head. He grit his teeth and blinked, trying to get to his feet before someone kicked him in the side. He hit the ground with a groan, looking up and getting hit in the jaw by the butt of a gun. When he looked up again, weakly, his vision fuzzy, it was being pointed at his chest.

"Say goodbye, Spiderman," the man snarled, but Peter didn't hear him; his voice sounded underwater. He couldn't even see straight, just blurs of colors. 

_BANG_

Peter flinched, trying to see straight, trying to see if he was feeling pain, which he oddly wasn't. A scream was let out but it wasn't his, it was the man in front of him, screaming and clutching his leg. 

He blinked and looked to the side to see Tony sprint across the room. Peter launched his foot forward to trip the man as Tony slammed into his side. The man tumbled over and Tony held a hand out for Peter who gladly took it, allowing him to loop an arm around his shoulder as he fired warning shots while leading Peter behind one of the counters. 

"You good kid? You good?" Tony yelled, grabbing his arm in worry. Peter nodded, ducking his head to his chest in a moment of vulnerability as he tried to block out the ringing in his ears.

The front doors burst open and police poured in, firing to cover the hostages that ran for the open exits. "Alright Pete, we gotta go!" Tony grasped Peter's shoulder harder before he knelt by his side with a curse, "Hey, Underoos, can you hear me?"

Peter groaned and grasped his sweatshirt as he nodded, getting to his feet. There was suddenly a rain of bullets that hit the wall next to them and Tony yanked Peter out of the way. They turned to go the other way but soon skidded to a stop; there was another man at the end.

The robber aimed his gun, ripping web off his chest, "Don't worry, there's enough bullets for the both of you."

“Yeah you like sharing?” Tony says angrily, stepping in front of Peter. “You take the grenade, I’ll take the pin.”

"He's got the bigger gun Tony," Peter slurred.

"Yeah, you're right," Tony winced, spinning them around and sprinting. Peter spun and shot a web grenade as they had no choice but to turn and run for the steps, two guards following them. Tony and Peter raced up the steps and down the first hall, Tony holding him up and yelling in his ear, "PETER, ARE YOU DEAF NOW?"

Peter winced, "With you yelling like that I might be." They shouldered the wall and Peter pressed a hand against his head, groaning, "Ok, I'm transferring leadership over to you since I can't really hear or see at the moment."

"Yeah, I kinda already assumed my rightful role. You did well though," Tony patted him on the shoulder. "Ok, I'm gonna shoot the fire extinguisher and then it will bounce off and hopefully hit them, that's the plan."

"That's not gonna work," Peter said with his eyes squeezed shut, leaning against the roll. 

"Oh yee of little faith," Tony drawls. 

"No faith," Peter corrected. "It's not gonna-"

Tony levels his gun around the corner and fires at the fire extinguisher. It hits it spot on and Tony whoops- until the red canister just falls to the ground with a thud. Tony's face falls and he ducks behind the wall again. 

"Did it just fall?" Peter grins. 

"Shut up. Don't say I told you so," Tony swears. 

“I won't, only because I feel like ‘I told you so’ has gotten a little old, probably because I’ve used it so much. I have to think of a new phrase. I’ll get back to you,” Peter says weakly.

“Ok, but who would know that wouldn't work?” Tony demands, shooting a few more shots to keep the two men at bay.

“Most people, Tony.” Peter stated, "Most people. Just get them to come around the corner, I'll get their guns and the guy on the left, you get the one on the inside."

"Ok," Tony says, holding the pistol to his chest, waiting for the men to become visible around the corner.

Peter shoots two webs, disarming both of them immediately and Tony goes to tackle the man but barely makes him stumble. Peter's luckier as he knocks his man to the ground and webs his hand and foot, smacking a clumsy elbow into his face and webbing him again in the chest. He rolled off, shaking his head to clear the dizziness and looked up, "Tn-y how are you-"

"I got the short straw," Tony groaned as he was slammed against the wall. "You're a big son of a-" Tony launched a kick to the man's gut and was released, dropping to the ground and coughing. The man stumbled and hit the wall next to Peter who looked up weakly, raising a palm but the man already had scrambled for a gun and aimed it. 

"No-" There was a blur as the gun went off and Tony tackled him. They both hit the wall and Tony launched an elbow into the side of his head before digging a knee into his chest. He shoves him back and glares at Peter, "What, your arms get tired?"

"You had one guy, I had one guy, that was the plan," Peter said weakly.

"Oh so you're not gonna help me?"

"You've got him," Peter waves his hand, "What, you don't have him?"

"I've got him," Tony grumbled, ducking a punch and kicking him backward. The man's head slammed against the corner of the wall, slumping unconscious. Tony turned around, a hand against his side and he looked down at Peter who had a palm pressed against his ear. 

"This is twice now. Third time I'm letting you get shot," Tony winces as he helps Peter up. "Now why don't we get out of here? Maybe, wanna, web these guys a little bit more?"

"Yeah," Peter agrees, covering the two men with webs. The man Tony had knocked down is conscious and he lets out a muffled yell under the web over his mouth. 

Tony crouches by his side and leans in to listen to his muffled curses before looking back up at Peter, "Is that Lithuanian?”

“I think it's Russian?” Peter jokes with a wince as the ringing starts to die down to the point where he can hear the muffled cursing coming from the man.

“You know maybe it’s German," Tony nods. "Or stupid. Sorry I don't speak stupid." Tony grins, trying to stand and failing as he puts weight on his bad arm. He tries again and Peter suddenly stops him, his lenses wide.

"Your shoulder!" he splutters, his vision suddenly sharpening, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Tony, it's dislocated!” 

Tony scoffed with a nod, “Woah really? What gave it away?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"What did you pat yourself on the back too hard?" Peter grinned.

Tony gave him a look, "Low blow kid!"

“Give me your hand,” Peter demanded.

Tony raised his eyebrow, “Uh, bad shoulder, remember?”

“Oooo I know, how about give me your other one. You have two right?” Peter slurred.

“Yeah.” Tony sighed, "but it's not just the shoulder, I also got shot."

"What?" Peter splutters.

"Well that bullet just now went somewhere!" Tony groans. "Don't flip, it just grazed me."

"Oh, well that's a relief. I'll patch you up and then kill you myself," Peter grumbled as Tony reached up and clasped his hand. Tony stumbles and Peter puts his arm over his shoulder, more than happy to support him.

They walk towards the steps and Tony grins, "Well...we did it. I am the best sidekick and superhero now, a man of all trades."

"Man?" Peter snorts. "And yeah, wuppee. Would you like a medal? Why don't we throw you a parade?"

"I would love that," Tony grins, slipping on his sunglasses. 

“Do you have a concussion?” Peter asked as they slipped away for the side door. 

Tony knit his eyebrows, “No? Why?” 

“Well there's no sun in here,” Peter whispered with a light smirk.

Tony sighed and took off his sunglasses, rolling his eyes and tucking them on his shirt, “No crap, kid. Can I not pull it off?”

"As Tony Stark, yes," Peter laughed. "As 16 year old Tony? No, you just look ridiculous."

"I must be really screwed if I'm taking fashion tips from you," Tony admitted. 

"Do you just have those everywhere?" Peter grins. "It's like you whip them out of thin air."

"Courtesy of magic camp."

"Shut up. By the way, you erased the security tapes, right?"

"What am I, an idiot?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking. Tony, you're 16! How do you think that happened?"

"Fair. And yeah, I did."

"Who's gonna tell Rhodey?" Peter asked slowly as they rode the elevator up from the med lab. The cab ride back to the compound had been eventful, and they had slipped into the med lab without anyone noticing, getting their worst injuries patched up before returning to the lab.

“Rock paper scissors?" Tony suggests, leaning against the railing in the elevator.

Peter shrugs as he turns, "Sure." He pulls up his sleeves and they pound their fists, Peter landing with rock, Tony landing with a weird squiggly thing. "The heck is that?" Peter demands.

"See the trick is to do water and then you win every time," Tony said with a smug smile, doing a cocky elbow snap.

“I thought it was a gun?” Peter raised an eyebrow.

Tony snorted, “I'd like to see you go at rocks with a gun.”

“Tony!” Peter shot him a look.

“Fine, I'll do it," Tony groaned, pausing by the door of the lab.

Peter leaned forward into his view. “It’s a door.” 

“Thank you captain obvious," Tony said, wringing his hands.

“Lesson One the door _doesn’t_ magically open by itself,” Peter added, getting a jab in the ribs. "My God." Peter opens the door himself, pushing Tony in. 

Rhodey looks up, sitting in a chair in the center of the room, "Hey, you found Peter!"

"More like I found Tony," Peter corrects with a grumble. 

"Did you guys work it out?" Rhodey asks with a raised eyebrow. 

Tony and Peter looked at each other and make a face. Tony scratches his head, "Well shoot...we kind of forgot to talk about that."

"Good Lord," Rhodey puts a hand on the bridge of his nose. "Wasn't that the whole point?"

"We'll talk about it later," Peter shrugs. "We were busy."

"Well did you enjoy your outing?" Rhodey asks slowly. "What were you guys doing? You were gone more than an hour."

"Oh yeah, it was a _blast_. I think Tony and I are totally _shot_ ," Peter snickers and Tony shoots him a dirty look. 

"We went to the bank," Tony said firmly. 

"Did you need money?" Rhodey spluttered.

Tony whriled around, "Very funny Rhodes."

Of course at that moment, Peter decides to turn on the TV and of course it's on news. A reporter rattles off about the newest robbery in New York, a massive heist thwarted by Spiderman and an unknown 16 year old. Peter blanches right before he's tackled by Tony who rips the remote from his grasp and slams his fist down on a random button. That only succeeds in turning up the volume until Peter wrestles the remote from his grasp and turns it off. 

Rhodey is watching them both, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two teens that are currently punching each other as they get up from ground and the blank television. "We're not gonna pretend I didn't see what I just saw."

"I think we should..." Peter says slowly.

"You didn't just go to a bank...did you?" Rhodey asked, crossing arms.

"Oh we did," Tony nodded. "Just...during a robbery."

"You forget to mention that slight detail," Rhodey said firmly, rolling his eyes. "Well, what happened?"

"We kicked some butt, people tried to kill us," Tony snorted.

“I love how you say that so calmly,” Peter laughed. 

“It happens once a week Pete,” Tony grinned. 

“Good point,” Peter shrugged.

"Don't be proud of that," Rhodey said firmly, glaring at the both of them as he turned the TV back on and watched for a couple seconds before he raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you guys really did some damage. All of robbers got sent to the hospital. I mean, I guess you had to, if they were shooting at you." It switches to a shot of someone getting wheeled of on a stretcher, picked up from the bottom of a staircase. "But dang. Remind me to never pick a fight against the two of you."

“Hey, that one guy got hurt due to natural causes.” Peter protested, walking towards the fridge.

“Yeah right.” Rhodey snorted, “It looks like you kicked him down the steps. What; he just believed he could fly?”

"Gravity," Peter grinned as he walked past, getting a wink from Tony. He tosses him a Gatorade as he crosses the room to sink in a chair.

"Ew, purple's disgusting," Tony complains at the flavor of drink Peter gave him. 

"Yeah, I know," Peter grins, opening his blue. 

Rhodey rubs a hand over his face and stares at the two of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo they still need to have a talk, obv, but as of right now they're good. Next chapter we'll have some more people find out and work on changing Tony back :)  
> I hope you liked it! New chapter out in a couple of days. Thank you so much for reading and please tell me whatcha thought- i love hearing from yall.  
> Stay healthy and stay sarcastic haha  
> I love you all 3000 <3


	9. I Hate Your Playlist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers! Sorry this is a little late, and a little short :( AP testing has not been kind anddd i needed to shorten it for plot pace haha  
> There's 2 or 3 chapters left!! We stray away from humor in this one when someone finally snaps, but there are still some memorable lines. And it seems like the whole compound is finding out! Altho the kicker will be next chapter XD  
> Hope you all are doing well and staying safe and healthy! Have an awesome day and thank you for all your support <3 the comments and kudos mean the world!!  
> Enjoy!

Peter jogs down the steps of the lab and sees Tony working on the machine, laying on his back on a rolling cart as he screws off the panel underneath it. Tony hears him come in and speaks up, “There he is! come to join the party? Hey kid, you know what I just realized? The Left Twix and Right Twix thing is absolute crap.”

"Do tell," Peter said with a small smile.

“I mean it’s stupid. They could be just putting a right and a left in and we would never know. I mean there’s no way to tell. And besides. Just flip it over and now they aren’t left, they’re right. It’s stupid and everyone is making a huge deal out of. It it’s ridiculous.”

“Not as ridiculous as you making a big deal out of it.” Peter said innocently.

Tony made a face and he laughed before asking, "What took you so long? You said five minutes."

"I said 5 ish," Peter corrected. "What, you miss my company?"

"No, I had to actually get up and grab a wrench instead of having you get it," Tony said. "Who would miss a sarcastic sixteen year old?"

"I don't know. That's why I didn't miss you either," Peter nodded with a smirk. He sets down the tool kit he had snagged from the downstairs lab and looked around, noticing the absence of someone. "Where's Rhodes? He said he would be here with you."

"He went to grab something to eat," Tony says, not looking up. "I don't need a babysitter, kid, I'm forty seven."

Peter tries to hide his snort, "Yeah, ok. It's not like you were alone for a couple hours and managed to turn yourself into a preteen or anything."

Tony blinks and glances at Peter, giving him a look as he lifts his chin, "That was a little too specific. I don't appreciate it."

"Cry me a river," Peter grins, tossing him one of the tools Tony was about to ask for before pulling the 3D screen with him as he started to walk over. 

"Ah- ah-" Tony pointed and Peter saw a small red line of tape at his feet. "That's the no Peter line. Do not cross it."

"You're kidding me, right?" Peter drawled, stepping over it dramatically without a care in the world.

Tony gasped, "Hey! I literally just said-"

"Bite me," Peter rolled his eyes. "How much time have we got till FRIDAY is done with the numbers?"

Tony checked his watch and shrugged, "About four and a half hours. This will be done in two once I rewire it, the GPS just needs to be programmed and the suit is almost configured."

Peter's shoulders relaxed and he sighed, "Great. So far so good."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Tony admitted, swapping tools with Peter as he squinted at the wiring on the underside of the machine. "I'm waiting for something bad to happen to mess everything up."

"Hey, think positive," Peter said firmly. 

Tony raised an eyebrow, "I'm positive that something bad will happen to mess everything up."

Peter kicked Tony's foot and scowled, "Ever consider a career as an motivational speaker?"

"Every day kid," Tony grinned before he took off his glasses and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "You know, we never did have that talk."

"Which one?" Peter asked, thinking back to a certain conversation they had the other day in the car. 

"What do you mean which one?" Tony laughs. "The one that made you walk out to go smell the flowers and get some Vitamin D. The one that we forgot about because we got held up at the bank."

"Oh," Peter grumbled, not wanting to start an argument right now. "Yeah, well, I'm not apologizing for not telling you."

"Good," Tony said firmly, making the kid stop in his tracks. "I don't want you to. But you can listen to mine though."

Peter glanced up and nodded slowly, "Yes, I can."

"I'm not about to turn this into a lovey dovey moment, so I'm only saying this once," Tony admitted before locking eyes with Peter. "I get why you did it, and I would have done the same. Getting mad at you for trying to protect me because you know me too well is not a crime and I shouldn't have treated it like one. It was selfish and stupid and I'm sorry. Not telling me was the right call, and I don't blame you, but from now on...be honest with me, okay kid?"

Peter gave him a small smile, "You got it."

"I mean, if you think about it, my situation isn't that bad," Tony shrugged, taking a sip of his purple Gatorade. "If I've got two days to live, it's a heck of a way to go. Although I would like some other drink that doesn't taste like urine."

Peter shot him a look, "Don't say that. About you dying, not the Gatorade. I'm with you on the Gatorade."

"I'm just saying kid-" Tony shrugged. 

"Well don't 'just say it'," Peter cut him off immediately. "I will take your apology though," he added with a smirk. "And relax, nothing bad is gonna happen."

Tony pushes his rolling chair over to the end of the lab and grabs his phone, hooking it up to the speakers. A second later a familiar song comes blasting in the lab, and Peter frowns. 

"Really?" Peter demands. "Don't fear the Reaper?"

Tony shrugs as he looks over his shoulder innocently, "What?"

Peter grabs his phone off of the counter and looks at the playlist, scrolling down the list of songs. "In my Time of Dying? Knocking on Heaven's Door? Wanted Dead or Alive? You preparing or something?"

"Hey, if I'm going out, I'm going out with some appropriate tunes," Tony grinned, turning back to his work. 

"The Show Must Go On? You're not even a Queen fan!" Peter splutters. 

"Hey, don't disrespect Freddy," Tony says firmly.

Peter scowls, about to respond, but suddenly their attention is diverted due to the large Error message that pops up on the screen. They scramble over, checking diagnostics. Tony rubs a hand over his face, "This should be fun."

"You want to say that again, Pete?" Tony looked sideways at him. They had been working well for a while, but now, towards the end, things were starting to fall apart. Numbers weren't matching up, data wasn't calibrating, circuits weren't connecting...

"Nothing bad is gonna happen? Your words. I believe mine were I'm positive that something bad will happen to mess everything up. Would you look at that?" Tony said firmly.

"You should tell people their future, you'd make a fortune," Peter grumbled in anger as he tried to run the numbers again, still getting an error message. He cursed, "I was trying to be hopeful." 

"Welp, that sucks." Tony leaned against the counter with a sigh. Peter turned to stare at him with an look of utter disbelief. 

"Welp, that sucks?" Peter demanded. 

Tony frowned as he raised an eyebrow, "Is there an echo in here?" 

"That's what you have to say?" Peter laughed with absolutely no humor. 

Tony made a face, "Look kid, from the minute this happened you should have considered the fact that this could get all screwed up," he said with a shrug, finishing off a Gatorade with an expression of disgust before tossing it towards the trashcan at the other end of the lab. It was a low shot and as it bounced off the can, Tony cursed, "I used to be taller."

"Not by much," Peter shot back without thinking, but his main concern was on Tony's previous sentence. "And by screwed up you mean you dying?" 

"Yeah, you know what? You're very clever Pete," Tony grinned, wandering over to the door. 

Peter beat him there and sidestepped, cutting him off, "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get coffee. If I have to drink another bottle of grape flavored crap I might die early," Tony swore, pushing past him and opening the door. 

Peter followed him out, "You're not dying!"

Tony scoffed and pointed over his shoulder, "Tell that to big flashing red error message, kid. Where I come from, that means bad."

"Unbelievable- you are unbelievable you know that?" Peter hissed as he ran down the steps after Tony. 

"Ready? I can top that. You go get the Oreos, I'm getting the coffee. If this is my last night alive, I'm having milk's favorite cookie," he said with a grin.

Peter pushed his shoulder to get his attention before he stuck a finger in his face with a glare, "You know what? _I'm_ gonna be the one that kills you."

Tony patted him on the shoulder, "Good luck with that, kid." He and Peter parted, down the hallway, Tony heading for the coffee machine in the living room. He swipes on the screen as he sets the cup underneath the dispenser, selecting the one with the most caffeine and pushing brew as he rubs his hand across his eyes. Not even a minute in, he heard a creak of the floor and froze, glancing behind his shoulder and looking down the dark hallway. 

"Feel like I'm in a freaking horror movie," he hisses to himself, letting his eyes adjust so he can rest assured that no one is there. Just as he turns his head to look over his other shoulder, an arm wraps around his throat and he's pulled backward before shoved against a wall. 

Tony instinctively swings, catching his attacker across the jaw. He immediately pulls his hand back with a yelp, feeling like he hit a rock. When he looks up, he realizes why, and also that he's screwed. "Great," he grumbles, getting pinned against the corner. 

"How did you get in here?" Steve demands, his grip in Tony's shirt tightening. "You don't have a badge, you definitely don't live here, and it is way after hours even if you did so who the hell are you?"

"Look Steve," Tony laughs nervously, putting up his hands in surrender. "I just want to get my frickin coffee." 

"Did you just call me Steve?" Cap demanded. 

Tony swallowed his words and cursed at the old habit, "Ok, that was a bad idea-"

"Start talking," Cap swore, curling his fist. 

"I'm Peter's cousin! My name is Anthony, I'm from way way North Canada, our family had a fight and I'm visiting," Tony swore in a torrent of words.

Cap blinked at him, "You're kidding me, right?" He shook his head, "That is the lamest cover story anyone could have thought up!" 

Tony sighed in agreement, "You're right... it is. I didn't think it up though-" then he froze. "That's not what you think I'm meaning-"

"So it is a cover story. Are you using Peter to get inside the Avengers compound?" Steve demanded, with genuine anger in his eyes. "If you hurt that kid, I swear to God-" 

"I'm not hurting anybody! I just can't really explain who I am to protect my dignity," Tony spluttered before sighing loudly. "If I tell you, you will never let me live this down," he pleaded. 

"Live it down- kid, I don't even know you!" Cap hissed, his grip tightening. "Have you been stalking all of us?"

"No!" Tony laughed, "No, it's not what you think-"

Steve's arm pinned him harder, "I'm glad you find this funny. Who do you work for?" 

"Myself," Tony said.

Cap raised an eyebrow, "So you're a freelancer. Trying to gain information on Avengers, going through Peter by telling him he's your cousin?"

"My God, you really spun that," Tony admitted with a sigh.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't knock you out right now," Cap said. "You broke in after hours-"

"Yes, I broke in to steal coffee," Tony drawled, rolling his eyes.

"You have been stalking us, and your cover story is crap. You probably did something to Peter too!" He curled his fist in anger.

"Woah, woah, woah! Ok, one reason...uh...because...I'm a minor?" Tony grinned. "And you're a nice guy?"

"You got quite a mouth kid," Steve admitted.

“Don’t take it personally.” Tony shrugged, “When I get backed into a corner, I resort to sarcasm, or any type of humor. And right now, I’m backed into a corner. Literally and figuratively.”

"Not good enough. I know who you are. And you're too young to be a freelancer. I know who you work for. I guess HYDRA was closer than we realize," Cap said sadly, pulling back his fist. "I'm sorry they turned you so early."

Tony grabs the hand around his collar and starts struggling, warily watching the fist. "Woah, woah, hey- hey- star spangled idiot, watch where you swing, I've been hit by you before and it has not been fun and that was with the helmet on I don't want to feel what it's like without it-"

"What the HECK- Steve! No!"

Peter had just entered the room, looking around, and in an instant he locked eyes with Tony. He lunged forward, breaking Cap's hold and shoving him back. Tony dropped to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping as he leaned against the wall.

Peter looped a supportive arm around him, sheltering him as he took a breath. With a hand clasping his back and shoulder Peter demanded, "You good? Hey, you good?"

"Peter," Cap demanded, a couple feet away. "Get away from him. He works for HYDRA."

"Good God, no he doesn't," Peter said, putting a hand on the bridge of his nose. He looks down, "I leave you alone for two seconds, Tony, and you're convincing your best friend you work for HYDRA?"

Tony gives him a look, "Shut up, Pete."

Cap blinks, "Did you say...T-Tony? What?"

"I don't know what he's talking about," Tony said pointedly, stepping on Peter's foot. "Peter, who's Tony?"

"You. Ok, listen up, Steve. Tony's not at a conference, we just made that up," Peter said, looking down at Tony's shocked face and shrugging.

"Yeah, that's right," Peter said firmly. Not willing to leave Tony's side, he pointed, "Steve, Tony. Tony, Steve. Time travel accident in the lab. Bunch of science stuff I am not in the mood to explain. We've got a little over a day and a half to save him and he seems to find that funny. I'm not going into anymore details. If you want more information, contact my friggin lawyer. Don't bother asking this idiot, he's being a 12 year old about it," Peter said before walking to the stairs that headed back to the lab. 

"So...you're Tony?" Steve asks slowly. "Tony Stark?"

"No, Tony Hawk- yes Tony Stark," Tony sighed in annoyance. "Yep. Hey, buddy. It's not what it sounds like."

"You didn't have a time travel accident and turn yourself into a teenager?" Steve asked. 

Tony makes a face and sighs, "Ok, I guess it is what it sounds like."

"Who else knows?" Steve asked, still staring at him. 

"May knows. But here? Just Rhodey. Happy bought the cousin story," Tony says, rubbing a hand over his hair as he goes to get his coffee, feeling Steve's eyes on him. "And we have to keep it that way. No one else can know."

"Ok, fair enough, but what did Peter say about you dying?" Steve asked, slowly, still staring at him. 

"Well...I kind of screwed some time and space crap up when I accidentally changed myself. Can you stop staring?"

"You're shorter than usual," Steve muttered.

"Hey, watch it," Tony snarled. " _Anyway_. If we don't get me back to the right timeline and....fix me...then something bad happens and essentially, I die."

"And how long do we have till that happens?" Steve demanded urgently. 

Tony yawned and took a sip of his coffee, recoiling with a yelp, "Hot! Uh...a little under a day and a half."

"Is that why Peter's mad at you?" Steve asked slowly. 

Tony snorted, "He's mad at me for a lot of reasons. Mark my words, if this whole thing doesn't kill me...he definitely will."

Steve smiled, "I'll have to disagree with you there. The look he gave me said he was gonna kill _me_ if I threw that punch. I also can't believe I'm talking to you right now like you're actually Tony."

"I am actually Tony though..." Tony questioned. 

Steve nodded, "Yeah but..." he shakes his head and then grins, "Hey, what was Rhodes' reaction?"

Tony laughed, "I told him about MIT to convince him, and then he wanted a picture, which Peter will probably send to you eventually. You're slightly calmer than he was though," Tony admitted with a shrug. 

Steve grinned, "I've had too many people come back different in my lifetime, I guess I'm used to it. But hey, Rhodes is smart- that's a good idea. Tell me something only you would know, just so I can be sure this isn't some messed up nightmare."

Tony sighed and scratched his head before he grinned and crossed his arms, "Clint's farm house, back in 2015. You took from my firewood pile just to piss me off. Thought I wouldn't notice, but I did."

"Shoot," Steve admitted with a laugh. He motioned to him and shook his head, "Well, this is a new level of crazy. Even for you."

"You have no idea. That sentence has been used a lot recently," Tony ran a hand over his face and tossed his head. "We should go back to the lab. Rhodey will probably be there so you guys can bond and make fun of me and Peter can yell at me for not caring about dying. It will be a fun time."

"You do care though," Steve said with a shake of his head. "I'm sure the kid is just stressed. It's gonna work right?"

Tony grinned fakely, "Yeah."

They walked back towards the lab and Rhodey rounded the hallway at the end, stopping in his tracks and started to splutter about Peter's cousin and Canada. Tony pointed through sipping his coffee, "He knows."

Steve smiled proudly, "I know."

"You know!" Rhodey exclaimed, jogging down the hallway to meet them. He pointed at Tony, "Isn't it freaking hilarious? His voice cracks too, you just gotta give it time."

"Wow, thanks Rhodes, i didn't know I was the source of entertainment. You ladies catch up," Tony scoffed, entering the lab and walking over to Peter who was working by a screen. "Thanks for blowing my cover," he groaned.

"We didn't have time for that, I was just speeding things up," Peter said firmly, grabbing his cup of coffee and taking a sip. 

Tony shrugged and looked down at his work, his brow furrowing, “What are you doing, kid?” 

Peter sighed, “What does it look like I’m doing?”

"Re-calibrating the data into the secondary switch," Tony said firmly.

"Yep."

"But why?"

"Take a guess."

Tony looked over it and then made a face, "That could work. By using secondary power that reverts the energy into the core a little at a time which means we have more leeway for the GPS. And less chance of it overloading like it did last time."

Peter nods, finishing it up and pushing past him, "Right again. You know, maybe you should think about your questions before you ask them since you can obviously answer them without me."

"Ok, smart aleck," Tony rolled his eyes. Then he watched the kid nervously, "Pete, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Peter said firmly, his eyes flicking across a screen as he ran tests for the next trial. 

"You look tired. Maybe go get some sleep," Tony suggested. 

Peter froze, his hand curling into a fist, "You kidding me right now?"

"For once, no," Tony admits. "I think you should get some sleep. Your eyes are bloodshot, kid. You're tired."

"Yeah, I'm tired, so what?" he says through gritted teeth, "It's not like I'll be able to sleep, Tony. And if you ask me why I might actually clock you."

"Noted," Tony says slowly, moving away and grabbing a tablet to help the kid plan out the next trial run, examining energy levels. Then he shrugged with a slight smirk, "But I would prefer to die with a pretty face- no bruises, or black eyes which I always seem to get? Why is that-" Suddenly Peter storms over and grabs the tablet from Tony's hands, throwing it to the side. Tony splutters, "Kid- I was working on that!" 

"I'm done with this," Peter said firmly, pointing at him firmly. “I need you to be serious for a second.” 

“That word isn't in my personal dictionary, kid,” Tony joked, slightly shocked by Peter's outburst. 

"That actually makes sense because I guess even dying is a knee slapper to you," Peter snarled.

Tony sighed and crossed his arms, "What are you talking about, Peter?"

"I'm tired of ignoring the fact that you're treating this like a suicide mission," he spit. 

"Kid, you wanted me to deal with it, I'm dealing with it," Tony sighed, leaning against the counter. 

"Yeah, by not caring!" Peter spluttered. "You could die in a day and a half, you do get that, right?"

"No, Peter, _I forgot_!" Tony snapped.

"Well it's either that or you're okay with it!" Peter countered furiously. 

"Look," Tony rubbed a hand over his face and shrugged, "I said I was sorry for biting your head off when you didn't tell me about this whole thing. But I never apologized for saying that maybe this is the universe trying to screw me over for the final time, because I meant that."

"Yeah, and what the heck does it even mean?" Peter demanded. 

Tony scratched the back of head, "Do you realize how many times I've cheated death, kid? How many times I should have been dead but somehow survived?"

The door opened and Rhodey and Steve walked in, talking and laughing. They stopped short when they saw Tony and Peter facing off in the center of the room. Peter didn't even turn towards them, he just hissed, "Not a good time guys."

"Yep. We'll just-" Steve and Rhodey scrambled to be the first one out the door. Peter and Tony didn't break their glares even after the door shut.

"It's called being a hero, Tony," Peter said, picking up their conversation where they had left off, his eyes narrowing. 

Tony snorted and shook his head, "It's called being long overdue."

"Long over-" Peter repeated in disbelief, running a hand through his hair before spinning around and shrugging. "So that's it then?" he asked. "You think you've had this coming, so you're just gonna give up because it's 'bound to happen at some point', is that what this is?"

"Parker," Tony said firmly. "Do you want me to list off the times I have been _utterly and entirely_ screwed and have made it out for some random reason?" He laughed with no humor, getting to his feet and crossing the room. "Because there are too many to count."

"No, I don't, but I bet you're going to anyway," Peter snarled.

"I should have died in the cave in Afghanistan when the Ten Rings kidnapped me," Tony said weakly, anger causing his voice to shake. "I should have died when Obadiah yanked my arc reactor out of my chest, and then again when Pepper exploded the building at Stark Industries. I should have died two years after that from palladium poison, and then again with that stupid guy with the zappy whips. I should have died multiple times with the Avengers. Or what about the time when my entire house got blown up by a terrorist and I almost drowned-"

"You gonna recount your whole life for me, or what?" Peter said softly. 

"Yeah, and I'm not even done," Tony snapped. "Killian should have killed me about three times. I should have died in Sokovia while underneath that core but instead I let 177 people die in my place. Oh, and most notably, almost forgot," Tony swore, the volume of his voice steadily increasing. "I should have been toast the minute I went into the wormhole with the nuke."

"And you don't expect that? Tony, you're the most famous superhero in the world! You signed up for all that the minute you said you were Iron Man at that press conference. That was in the job description. But you know what wasn't?" Peter shouted. "Holding onto that nuke longer than you needed to." 

Tony's face shifted into a dark glare, "You don't know what happened, kid."

"Yes, I do," Peter shot back. "You rode it into the portal and for a second you considered not letting it go, didn't you?"

Tony didn't answer and Peter shook his head, pointing at him in anger, "For the same reason why you didn't let go the minute you knew there was no way it could miss the wormhole. For the same reason why you are so... _self sacrificial_ every chance you get. Well news flash, Tony, you need to snap out of that crap because I am sick and tired of you playing everything off as jokes to make yourself feel better and distract everyone from the fact that in less than two days, something really bad could happen."

"Well it's working," Tony gave him a fake smile.

"Sure, with everyone but me," Peter seethed, spreading his arms. "It's not working on me, I see right through it."

Tony smirked weakly, "Am I that transparent?"

"No, you're not! But I just know you!" Peter said in exasperation. "And all of this is about you wondering if you're worth it, if you deserved to be saved. Well you do."

"And you're biased kid," Tony says, patting Peter's shoulder before his arm is smacked away and he's shoved in the chest, hard. Tony stumbles back in shock and sees Peter glaring at him.

"Have you ever considered the fact that maybe luck _isn't_ the reason why you're still alive? Have you ever noticed that the universe has thrown _everything_ at you and it just gets batted down?" Peter said, his voice rising. "You're a superhero Tony. People look up to you for a reason."

"Yeah, ok," Tony drawled.

"I do," Peter said weakly. "I look up to you! I have been wanting to be just like Iron Man since I was six, Tony!"

"I'm glad I'm a roll model figure Pete, but that's not the harsh reality of the real world. People die. There's collateral damage, and sometimes there's a target on your back. I've got one of those. Everyone around me gets hurt," Tony seethed. "I have had to deal with the fact that I could die every step of this messed up journey that's my life."

"Not being afraid to die isn't a crime, but having a death wish is!" Peter yelled.

"Well then what do you want me to do, kid? Because I am fresh out of options!" Tony yelled before he flinched. Peter grabbed his collar and shoved him backwards up against the wall, not too gently, he might add. He bit back a sarcastic remark about he was getting pinned to walls today.

"I want you to give One. Single. Ounce," Peter emphasized each word, "of thought, about the fact that something really bad could happen!" he shouted, tears building in his eyes that stung from the anger. His chest was hot and he was shaking. "I want you to give a _crap_ that I could lose you!"

Tony's anger dissolved in that instant, and he looked at the kid in confusion and guilt. Peter wasn't done. His eyes flashed and his knuckles turned white, keeping Tony pinned.

"I want you to want to be saved! Because if it is the last thing I do," he swore. "I am going to get you out of this, Tony. I swear to God I will, just to piss you off. Whether you like it or not, I am going to do everything I can to save you. And if you don't want to get on board? Fine. All I ask is that you walk normally, and not like a dead man. Because it's...it's killing me, ok? It feels like-"

Peter lightly shoved Tony's chest as the last of his anger flickered out. He let his hands drop, releasing his grip on Tony's collar as he mumbled out, "It feels like I've already lost you."

Silence. 

Tony stared at him for a minute, not bothering to straighten his shirt. Tony took a deep breath and finally nodded slowly, looking at Peter with a wide range of emotions "Ok." Peter's head shot up and his eyes filled with hope. Tony gave him a small smile, "Ok, kid. You're right. You win."

He reached out and ruffled his hair with a proud and compassionate smile before motioning over his shoulder, "Let's go fix this baby up, ok?" Peter nodded and Tony put his arm around him as they walked to the other side of the lab. 

"You slam me into a wall again and we're gonna have problems," Tony warned. 

"You deserved it," Peter smirked. 

"That I did," Tony agreed. "I think we scared off Rhodey and Steve though."

Peter shrugged, "They'll be back."

"Try it now kid," Tony shouted from the other side of the room. "This should be smooth sailing. Like the Titanic."

"The Titanic sank."

"Bad analogy," Tony admits. 

Peter yanked the lever and the connection held, the suit enclosed in the glass case heating up. Peter grabs the 3D screen and monitors the levels, his other fingers crossed at his side. "So far so good!"

The door opened and Rhodey and Steve cautiously peaked inside. "You two at each other's throats?" Rhodey asked.

"It varies," Peter shrugged, tucking a pencil behind his ear as he started typing. 

"Not at the moment no. Give it two seconds though," Tony added before he looked over his shoulder across the lab. "Hey Pete, amp up the voltage. Go full tilt. If we have a surge, that thing is gonna need to hold."

"Yeah," Peter nods, hitting a button and stepping back. "FRIDAY, keep an eye on that, will ya?"

_"Sure thing."_

Peter pointed to it, "It's not bad."

Tony examined the data and made a face, "Yeah, but it's not good. I'm just stating the facts so if you tell me to be positive one more time, kid," he warns. Peter grins and rolls his eyes. Tony ruffles his hair before he looks up and freezes. "Why do you guys look guilty?" he asked slowly and Peter turned to see what he was talking about. 

Sure enough, Steve was fighting a smile. Peter crossed his arms, "Spill guys. Now. Don't try me."

Rhodey smirked, "We kind of...told..Natasha..."

"You what?" Tony demanded. 

Suddenly Steve and Rhodey were shoved forward through the door and Nat stood behind them, excitedly sweeping the room until she found Tony. Then she just burst out laughing. Steve and Rhodey joined her and Tony stood, watching unamused. He turned around and saw Peter snickering and he points, "Not you too. You're on my side."

Peter cut the smile with effort and walked to his side, both of them blocking out the hoots and louder laughter than came from behind them. 

"I'm gonna kill them," Tony swore with a shake of his head.

"Not yet," Peter smirked. 

Tony hits his arm, "Did you get the Oreos?" Peter scowled and Tony rolled his eyes. "I didn't just want them because I thought I was going to die, which I'm not," he assures him after Peter tenses, "I just wanted them."

"Yeah," Peter points to the box on a chair and Tony snags it, returning over and sighing, "They're not double stuffed!"

"You didn't ask for double stuffed!" Peter countered. "Hey, be grateful. At least they're not thins. Or the yellow ones."

"Fair point," Tony agreed, taking one and tossing one to Peter.

"Hey, I need more than one," Peter sighed. "What am I, 5?"

"No, we're sharing," Tony said. "You get one, I get the rest of the box."

Peter webbed the box and it flew into his hands. He smiled, "You get one, I get the whole box. Sounds fair."

Tony rolled his eyes and snatched it back, setting it down in the middle before they both turned around and leaned against the counter. Rhodey, Nat, and Steve were all still laughing on the floor but it was dying down. Tony crossed his arms and shouted, "You done yet?"

"No," Rhodey whooped. 

Tony made a face, "You know, I think you've been the most mature about this out of all of us, Pete." He looked over at Peter who was trying to get an Oreo from his cheek into his mouth without using his hands. Tony sighed, "Never mind."

Then he looked over at his friends. "They're children," he said to Peter.

Peter nodded, sighing, "They really are. Although I haven't seen them laugh that hard before."

Tony made a face, "Is that your silver lining?" Peter shrugged. Tony rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You guys are children!" he shouted.

"So are you!" Natasha shouted, breaking into a fit of laughter again. 

Peter snorted and covered his smile with his hand, looking at Tony and shaking his head, "Not funny." 

"Oh my God, I haven't laughed that hard since Clint got stuck in the vents," Natasha wiped a tear from her eye. 

"You forgot to remind me to tell you that story," Tony hit Peter's arm. 

"I was a little busy!" Peter responded. 

Tony shrugged before he raised an eyebrow at the three Avengers that were picking themselves up off the floor. "Hey, welcome back three Amigos."

"You know, at first," Natasha says, holding her side, "I didn't believe them. But then I was like what the heck, mind as well check it out and man, I am not disappointed."

"That's great Nat, really great. Glad I could make your ten years," Tony smiled fakely. “So here's what I'm thinking. We forget this all happened, go out separate ways and call it a day, sound good? Good.”

"You seriously turned yourself into a teenager?" Nat asked, clearly ignoring him, shaking her head. 

"No, I just look good for my age," Tony drawled. "Yes, I did. Maybe I didn't think it through." Peter subtly elbowed him in the ribs. "Entirely," Tony added. Another elbow. "Or at all," Tony corrected, whacking Peter's arm. "Stop hitting me!"

“Hey you know what they say, one one door closes, another one opens,” Rhodey said trying to be helpful. 

“I'd just open the same freaking door," Tony mumbled before looking at all of his friends. "I'm glad I could make your day. Thanks for coming. I take it you had a nice show?"

“Hey it’s the least we could do,” Steve grins.

"Yeah, I'm glad we can both agree on that,” Tony swears under his breath. "And Rhodey, expect some embarrassing pictures to come out on the group chat. I warned you."

"I don't even care," Rhodey said, taking a deep breath and coughing since he laughed so hard. 

"You plan on telling anybody else?" Tony asked sarcastically, "Just wondering."

"No, just Nat," Rhodey snickered. 

Tony ran a hand through his hair, "Good to know."

Peter heard Nat whisper to Cap, "I already told Clint." He suppressed a smile because Tony couldn't hear her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tadaaaaaa ok so Tony and Peter are finally on the same page (might I add something I've always loved about tony were his apologies. they were short and sweet and too the point because he is always the bigger person and takes ownership of mistakes that aren't even his own) ok excuse my rant.  
> But things are winding down, we are coming close to the final couple of hours before everything is put to the test!  
> I hope you are enjoying, if you have any funny things you want to slip in until the fic closes off let me know, Id be happy to try to incorporate it. Stay tuned for the next chapter (with no more testing it should come sooner and i promise it wil be longer haha) and stay healthy!!  
> <3 i love you all 3000


	10. Knocking On Heaven's Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovely readers!!!! Get ready for a really sweet chapter as we come down on the final 2! :) Clint's here now, so we need a little recap, and the Avengers need to know what our boys have been up to so there's a recap for all yall with some of the best commentary haha and then....we're down to the last minutes. Peter and Tony have got to talk sometime so for those of you who have wanted a heart to heart..... :) i have delivered <3  
> I hope you enjoy! Stay healthy! And omg if any of you are dying with allergies??? know you are not alone. I feel ya. Anyway i hope you all are doing well <3 <3 and thank you for all your support! This story is a blast to write!  
> Ok I'll shut up XD read on!

"What's that?" Steve asks, moving to the blinking panel. 

"Don't touch that," Tony says, his gaze flicking over. "I said don't- good Lord Steve, you're like a hyper puppy." Then he lowered his head and looked over his shoulder in annoyance. "Natasha, you have been snickering for the past hour, give it up!"

"It's only been a couple minutes, quit exaggerating," she snaps through a giggle. "It's just so funny. You're so...young!"

"Hey, he's always been young," Peter said as he walked by. "Give it a rest, Nat. He's sensitive about the topic."

"Thank you, Peter," Tony said gratefully. 

"Aw look, older brother being protective of little brother," Rhodey hooted. 

"What did you just-" Tony turned with murder in his eyes and Peter tossed him a wrench to keep him focused.

"Don't let them get to you," Peter rolled his eyes and Tony nodded in agreement, hunching over his work. Behind Tony's back, he took out his phone, turned it on and flipped it to Nat. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she stared at the picture he had taken the first day. Grinning, Peter mouthed, "send it to your phone". Then he patted Tony's shoulder sportively, "Wouldn't be your friends if they didn't tease you profusely about it."

"Yeah, well it's not funny," Tony grumbled angrily. 

Peter raised an eyebrow and leaned against the counter, "Tony, if I got turned into an 80 year old man, can you promise me you wouldn't laugh?"

"Yes, I'd be very mature about it," Tony sniffed.

Peter scoffed, "Yeah, right. We both know I wouldn't hear the end of it. I rest my case."

"Why do you always have to be right?" Tony sighed in exasperation. "Go check the levels or something. Cure cancer. Go away." Peter laughed and obliged. 

"So...in a couple hours we try this all out, right? You put on the suit, go in there, and then we try and zap you back?" Steve asked, crossing his arms. 

"In idiots terms, yeah, that's the plan," Tony nodded.

"Hey!" Steve said angrily, shooting him a look. 

"Sounds dangerous," Nat said.

Tony smirked, "Yeah, it is. Really gets your adrenaline pumping, doesn't it? That and the fact that if we screw up we may not be able to fix the machine in time because I'm coming up on my expiration date."

"Not gonna happen," Peter said firmly, shoving Tony's shoulder as he walked past. "It's gonna work."

"Of course it's gonna work," Tony agreed, giving him a smile as he glared at him. "And! Then we can officially say we have mastered some form of time travel."

"Some form?" Rhodey grinned in disbelief. "Yeah, Tony, hate to break it to you, but your 'little' age problem?" Steve coughed out a laugh as Rhodey shook his head, "Does not qualify as mastering time travel."

Tony glared at the joke and then motioned to himself, "Then define this."

"Crazy," Rhodey said. 

"Impossible," Steve added. 

"Absolutely hilarious," Nat said with a grin. 

"Groundbreaking," Peter called out from the end of the lab. "A fluke that is somehow a scientific achievement." 

Tony's eyes widened and he grinned, whirling around and pointing, "That's why he's related to me. You hear that?" Then he points to his three friends, "But you all? Suck."

"Wait...so what went wrong? What's the change in the future if you really try to accomplish time travel, and not...this," Steve said with a sigh, ignoring Tony's look, "What would you do? Just...push a different button?"

Tony blinked, "Push a different button-" he choked before rubbing a hand through his hair.

"I'm so sorry about your delusion. Is it permanent?" Peter snickered behind him.

"Ok, shut up Pete," Steve grinned.

"It's Peter," both he and Tony said at the same time. They looked over their shoulders at each other in mild annoyance before pressed a hand to his temple and shook his head, "No. We would have to-"

"English for the people who don't speak science!" Peter shouted a reminder over his shoulder. 

Tony pressed a hand against his head, "Right. Basically we pushed time through me instead of me through time. It's called an EPR paradox but that's not important. The easy fix was having something to eliminate that problem, so we could navigate through space and time once I'm shoved back into the quantum realm."

"Like a GPS," Nat shrugged. 

"Exactly," Tony nodded, crossing his arms and shifting his weight from foot to foot. "So we made one."

"You...just _made_ one?" Steve blinked. 

Peter walked to Tony's side and grinned, "We're kind of geniuses."

"My God, there's two of them," Nat whispered to Rhodey who promptly spit up his water he was drinking. 

Tony held up the wrist GPS that they had created, "This baby is the answer to all of my problems. Well not all of them. Earlier I wished I could win a Nobel Peace prize, and it didn't happen. I would kill to win a Nobel Peace Prize."

Peter nudged his shoulder without turning around, "You kind of...just...contradicted yourself-"

"Like I said, it's the answer to fixing this current problem," Tony finished, slipping it off and laying it back in it's case. "That, and the suit that was being a pain. But now I think it's working. It was calibrating correctly a minute ago so unless the world ended in the last five seconds, I'd say we're in business. If Peter can keep his freaking work space clean!" Tony walked over and moved Peter's papers and tools, "Good lord, kid."

"Hands off my stuff!" Peter shouted, shoving him to the side.

"Then move your crap! If you need so much space, try NASA," he spluttered.

"Control freak, get a grip on your OCD," Peter shot back. "It's creatively organized!"

"I should have never said that in front of you. You use it all the time now. It's annoying. Do I have to be careful of everything I say around you?" Tony demanded. 

"Apparently," Peter nodded.

Tony looked back up at Steve, Nat, and Rhodey and pointed, "This suit is what saves me when I'm in there. If I'm not wearing it, I'll instantly blow up because the human body can't handle that amount of energy. It's like G force on a roller coaster but quantum energy style."

"Just instead of blacking out, you get shredded down to atoms," Peter added helpfully with a smile, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It's super cool...in a not- cool- way- never mind."

"And it wasn't working? But it is now?" Nat clarified. 

"You know the saying: if at first you don't succeed..." Peter raised an eyebrow, prompting Tony to finish. 

"Stop trying, you're probably an idiot?" Tony guessed and Peter kicked him in the shin. 

"Try try again," Steve finished proudly, "I- I know that one."

Tony stared blankly at him with a sigh and rubbed his shin, "Yeah, we went with Pete's plan. Initially, the numbers weren't adding up so I was worried it would tear from the pressure, but it was just an energy build in a structure flaw. Peter rerouted the data to the secondary switch, which was a smart move. So now it's all good."

"Question," Nat raised her hand. 

"Yeah?" Tony asked. 

"Happy said something about Peter's cousin," she said slowly. "Are you the cousin or is there another annoying, sarcastic, hyper, smart 16 year old running around that I don't know about?"

"It's him," Steve confirmed with a scoff. "He tried to convince me that he was Peter's cousin from 'way north Canada'. It even sounds stupid. Who in their right mind would fall for that?"

"Shut up. No. Both of you." Rhodey immediately turned to both Peter and Tony angrily. "Don't even-"

"I don't know Rhodes, who would fall for that?" Peter grinned and Tony snickered, giving him a subtle fist bump. 

"You'd have to be an idiot," Tony said mindlessly.

"Oh God, Rhodes, did you..." Steve puts up a hand to hide a smirk. 

"Happy fell for it too, okay!" Rhodey said firmly, shooting looks at all of them.

Tony patted his shoulder with assurance, "Yeah, whatever makes you feel better buddy." 

"So, what, you guys have just been sneaking around all this time?" Nat asked. 

"Oh, I didn't tell you? Must be none of your business," Tony said firmly.

"He went to school with me and saved a cat- ow!" Peter yelped as he got an elbow to the stomach.

"Oh, I need to hear this," Steve grinned, taking the nearest seat. "Anyone got popcorn?"

"I'm glad that this is your main concern," Tony drawled. "Unfortunately Pete and I need to run some tests-"

"No, I got it Tony, it's no problem," Peter said helpfully, shooting a wide eyed look of innocence and patting him on the back, "You catch them up on everything and I'll run all the trials, it's no big deal."

"I hate you," Tony said to him as Peter walked away. "You're grounded!"

"When you become 47 again, then we'll talk!" Peter called back. "Don't leave anything out."

"Start at the very beginning. Good place to start," Nat grinned, getting comfy in the spinning chair with a grin plastered to her face.

"You gonna sing the entire Sound of Music soundtrack or can I start this stupid story?" Tony sighed.

Steve mockingly put his hands on his chin, "I'm ready."

Suddenly the door burst open and Clint comes in, rubbing his eyes, "Natasha, I have gotten a lot of weird texts from you, but this was by far the weirdest. You better have a good reason for waking me up at midnight because today is the day I got to bed early and- who is that?"

"Hey Barton, you're just in time," Tony sighed.

"Do I know you? Do I know him? Do you know me?" Clint spluttered. 

"Yes. It's a long story," Tony smiled fakely before turning to Nat. "Thank you, _so so_ much, Romanoff. You tell anyone else?"

"Wasn't me! Steve texted him," Natasha spluttered, pointing at Cap who glared at her. She mouthed zipping her lips, "I keep secrets very well!"

"I'm sure you do," Tony narrowed his eyes. "It's just the people who you tell who can't."

”You’re literally a spy, Nat. You lie for a living,” Peter called as a reminder. 

“Thank you Peter,” Nat drawled. 

“Hey, don’t be sarcastic with him. Only I can do that,” Tony glances up.

Steve put up his hands in surrender. Rhodey was just watching and finishing off his water bottle, pulling up a chair for Clint and waving him over. Barton sank down in the seat in confusion and Natasha whispered, "That's Tony. He's about to explain what happened."

"What the heck is going on?" Clint asked in utter confusion, his eyes wide now. 

"I don't know, Clint, we haven't gotten to it yet because you guys won't shut up! Hear that? It's the sound of you guys not talking," Tony snapped. 

"Sound of silence," Rhodey corrected. 

"Hello darkness my old friend," Clint mumbled. 

"Clint!" Tony shouted in exasperation. 

"Dude! Who are you?" he yelled back. "I don't know you!"

"I told you, that's Tony!" Natasha sighed, pointing loosely in his direction. 

"Oh," Clint shrugged with sarcasm. "Everything makes sense now. A sixteen year old is Tony Stark, that's logical."

"God, do I have to tell the story?" Peter shouted from behind them. "We're getting bored, Tony! It's almost time to chose a new book and you haven't even read the title!"

"Alright, listen up! Story time you immature children," Tony said, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "This dumb story is called A day in the life of a teenage Tony Stark. Once upon a freaking time, which was a couple days ago, Peter and I were trying to figure out time travel."

"Cut the fairy tale crap," Peter advised.

"Shut up kid, let me tell the story," Tony said. "While he was at school, I tried to do a little more work on it, and if you interrupt and chew me out for that, Peter, I swear to God I will erase all of the data and make us start from scratch."

"I'm not saying anything," Peter said, an obvious smirk in his voice. 

"So after I convinced the kid I was...Tony. Yeah Clint, it's me. I can see your eyes getting bigger."

"That actually is Tony?" Clint hissed, pointing to him and looking back at Nat, Rhodey, and Steve who were all unphased. 

"Yeah, get with the program," Nat shrugged. 

"Anyway, we made up that stupid cover story about cousins and Canada and that got us past Happy and out the front gate in my Audi. We went back to Peter's house because his aunt wasn't home, ordered pizza, and figured out what went wrong with the machine. Unfortunately, May was gonna be home the next day and I couldn't exactly come back here because I didn't want you guys to know-"

"Why didn't you want us to know?" Rhodey asked, raising his hand with a smile on his face.

"You're kidding me, right?" Tony drawled with a shake of his head. "Anyway, I had to go to freaking high school. Rocked a chem lab with this genius. Aced a test. Kicked a bully's butt and then we both got into a fist fight. Peter got detention, and I got suspended from a school I wasn't even enrolled in. Ta da, done."

"Woah, woah, that was nothing, we need more detail of you being Mr. 17 Again," Steve stopped him. 

"The faster I kill you and then make it look like an accident, I faster I get out of jail," Tony warned him.

"I'll fill you in later," Peter supplied. "A lot happened."

Tony whirled, "No! No, you will not fill him in later! Moving on! We get home, May's there. I get plastic tupperwares thrown at me. That was not fun. We get in trouble and I take the fall for Peter making coffee- you still owe me for that one, kid."

"I do not-" Peter protested.

"Then we head back here and that's when Rhodey comes in and sort of, kind of, recognizes me. I'm saving the ship from sinking until the fantastic kid behind me decides to bail out on the plan and screw the pooch-"

"Stop using that analogy," Peter calls. 

"And then Rhodey finds out. We also find out it's gonna take a day and a half to run the numbers to even get close to fixing this thing. That was roughly a day and a half ago. This is tiring. Why am I getting physically tired from recapping my life?"

"I can take over if you want?" Peter offers. 

Tony sighs, hesitates, and then nods, tapping Peter out and taking over the test runs, "Yeah, give me a second to glue my dignity back together."

"There's some duct tape in the back," Peter points as he walks by him. Tony scoffs, shoving him lightly in the back and Peter grins, taking a seat in Tony's chair at the front of the room, "And that was the first time I've seen Tony refuse a spotlight. Anyway, then we're heading back home, but we stop by a sandwich place first, Delmar's-"

"Oh, I've been there! Best sandwiches in Queens! The deli!" Clint nods. 

Peter grins, "Yeah!"

"Why am I acting like any of this is normal," Clint puts his head in his hands and then looks up at Tony who gives him a cocky salute. "Tony," he says slowly. 

"Yahtzee," Tony nods.

"So Tony gets a really really hot sandwich- that will come into play later, and again gets by with the Canada story," Peter grins. 

"Unbelievable," Steve sighs. "Who made it up anyway? It's stupid!"

Peter makes a face and Tony raises an eyebrow, "And who thought I- a kid who was getting coffee from the Avengers lounge at midnight, was some sort of HYDRA agent?"

"Fair point," Cap admits.

"Carry on Pete," Tony winks at him.

"Uh, ok, so we also go to a store and Tony tries to buy beer, but...he's not 21. Well there just happens to be a robbery there, perfect timing, so we have to stop that. Tony takes the last guy out with a bag of apples. It was a good swing," Peter admits. 

"Very resourceful," Rhodey says with a straight face and Tony glares at him from the other side of the lab. 

"Then that's done, we wipe the tapes and cover our tracks and then head back to my place where Tony almost dies by eating previously mentioned spicy sandwich-"

"Due mainly to your inability to hand someone one simple glass of milk!" Tony added furiously. "Took thirty minutes this brat!" Peter grinned.

"Please tell me you taped even a second of this," Steve pleaded. 

"Sadly, no," Peter admitted. Everyone curses and Tony looks back in disbelief, muttering insults under his breath at every single one. Peter scrunches his eyes shut, trying to remember the order of events. "Ok, so then, oh yeah! After that, Ross called."

Silence. Everyone leans in their chair to look over at Tony. "What did you say?" Rhodey asks slowly. 

"We had a very nice conversation," Tony said simply. 

"Yeah, if nice means you nicknamed him Lightning and told him he was an old man who sits behind a desk," Peter mumbles. 

"Outstanding!" Clint whoops. "I've been wanting to call him that forever!"

"Did he know it was you?" Nat demanded with a growing smile. 

"Of course not. I told him my name was John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. And it's not like he could do a voice record," Tony grins proudly. 

"Right because of all the cracking," Peter nods. 

Tony turns to him. "You too now?" he demands. "Why did I even let you tell the story? You're about to be fired."

"Sorry," Peter kills his smile. "Anyway, moving on, before I say anything else about that subject, we watched a movie and did more science stuff and that was it for that day." He finished quickly; he and Tony had promised to never speak about the emotional death of John Wick's dog ever again.

"Poor Daisy," Tony whispered.

"What?" Nat said.

"What?" Tony looked up.

"Next morning we had pancakes," Peter blurted out. 

"We found out they can't swim," Tony added. 

"It wasn't even that much syrup! Shove off!" Peter groaned. "Then he stole my phone and tried to set me up with this girl I liked, exploded his Iron Man suit in my room because he thought it would somehow shrink but it just ended up knocking him to the ground and hitting him in the gut-"

"Please tell me you got a recording of that?" Steve asked again, even more hopeful. 

"No. Thank God," Tony said in relief. 

"Oh heck yes," Peter said at the exact same time before he cut his grin. "I mean no. I definitely wasn't recording."

"I'm gonna kill you," Tony promised.

Peter moved slightly to the side to create some distance and then giggled, "After that Tony saved a cat from a tree. It was very heroic."

"Aw, look at you," Nat grinned at Tony. "Helping a kitty in need." 

Tony gave her a fake smile, "Haha you know Nat, you're hilarious. In my defense, he was at the very top of this really tall tree ok?"

"It was like 20 feet," Peter said slowly.

"And he was stubborn," Tony added.

"I'm sure he was," Rhodey grinned.

"Why didn't Peter do it?" Steve questioned, looking at the other teen. "Don't you do that all the time as Spiderman?" 

Tony turned, crossing his arms, "Yeah Peter, why didn't you do it?"

"Because it's much more fun to watch you climb the tree and have a conversation with the cat. He literally talked to it," Peter snickered.

"That's enough kid, that's enough-" Tony swore.

"There was really no reason other than sheer entertainment," Peter admitted, swerving Tony's swings. "See, I told the lady he had had this problem many times before except with his cat. What was his name again, Tony?" he asked innocently. 

"Screw you," Tony sighed, giving up on the first fight. 

"Mr. Fluffy," Peter recalled with a wide smile.

Natasha's lip curled and she batted her eyes, "Aw, Mr. Fluffy. What kind of cat was he, Tony?"

"Shiatsu," Tony snarled.

Steve's brow furrowed."That's a dog..."

"He's got a way with cats, let me tell ya," Peter said with a growing smirk.

"One more word about that and I am replacing all of your webs with silly string I swear," Tony warned. 

"Fine! Fine, fine," Peter said quickly. "We went to-"

"You missed the part where you blew up at the cab driver because he said he didn't like Tony Stark," Tony grinned. 

"Oh did I? Bummer. Then we went to Top of the Rock," Peter continued. 

"Uh huh, and then you jumped _off_ the Top of the Rock," Tony added with a low grumble. "Giving me a heart attack. Do you guys know how many times I've almost died in the past two days? I need to stop hanging out with you, Pete."

"Yeah, and you'd last two seconds," he sneered.

Tony grumbled, "At least three. Or four."

"I think you could last five, Tony," Rhodey said supportively, giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks man."

"Then we came back here, after nearly killing each other on the car ride here. And that's pretty much it," Peter shrugged. "Then you found out Steve, and then told Nat and then you told Clint. How you doin' buddy?"

Clint grinned, "Amazing. This is awesome. Tony, you're even shorter now!"

"Yeah, ok Clint, watch it," Tony narrowed his eyes.

"You forgot about the massive robbery," Rhodey supplied helpfully. 

"Wait you guys left the compound again?" Steve asked. "Why?"

"They got into a fight," Rhodey said, glancing between the two boys who were suddenly fascinated with the floor. 

Tony hesitated, "It was a...mild quarrel."

"It was a fight," Peter agreed.

"It was right after we found out that we're on the clock...that this...whatever you want to call this, has some side effects," Tony smiled weakly. 

"What kind of side effects?" Clint asked. 

"Were you not here for the past hour?" Tony demanded. 

"No! I wasn't!" Clint splutters. "I was sleeping! Very well I might add. Until I got a text that said 'Tony is a preteen get ur butt 2 lab4A or I'll shoot you istg XD'," he recalls sleepily. 

"Yeah, that was definitely you, Nat. Steve uses grammar in his texts and it annoys the crap out of me," Tony said firmly.

"Hey!" Steve says, spreading his hands.

"No one uses periods, Steve, or commas," Nat makes a face and winces.

Tony sighs, "Yeah, Clint, to bring you up to speed, I'm not invincible. In less than a day, something bad's gonna happen. We're not sure why or where I'll end up, but hopefully we can change me back before all of that crap happens because for some reason none of it made my bucket list."

There was silence until Steve attempted to steer them back on track and give Tony a reassuring nod, "So you robbed a bank?"

"No, we stopped a bank from getting robbed," Tony corrected. "Although now that I am thinking about it we should have-"

"No," Peter cut in with a shake of his head. "Anyway, after that crazy, we came back, Rhodey yelled at us, and we deemed purple Gatorade undrinkable."

"Hear hear," Nat and Steve nodded.

"What, I love that flavor!" Clint exclaimed. 

Tony spun and gasped, "Monster!"

Peter screwed up his nose, "Get out. There's the door- Oooh! Monsters are good, thank you for reminding me, I think I'm gonna go get-"

"You've had six in the past three hours, sit down," Tony said sharply. Peter sighed and returned to his seat. Tony finished up the last test and rubbed his hands, "Well...all we can do now is wait. We've got 27 minutes for FRIDAY to finish up and then we can get started with our little time heist."

"I can't believe this is happening," Clint admitted. "I mean it's crazy...and not good. Although, I will say Tony is a little less sarcastic lately, so that's a plus."

"Don't kid yourself pall, I'm just distracted, since I'm about to die and all. Priorities. But just for you, I'll crank it up a notch," Tony smiled fakely. 

Clint sighed and waved his hands with zero enthusiasm, "Oh goodie."

"Hey kid, come with me to grab something from the other lab," Tony said, pushing himself up off the counter and tossing his head to the door. Peter nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, following him forward. Tony stopped and turned around, "You guys are more than welcome to stay and watch the show if you want, or you can go back to bed-"

"Tony," Nat laughed, but it didn't have much humor, more disbelief than anything. "We're not going anywhere."

"As much as I'd like to go back to sleep, this is gonna be more entertaining," Clint said with a smile, but there was sincerity behind it. 

"You think you're gonna go through this without us?" Steve asked. 

"We've got your back Tones," Rhodey concluded with a nod. 

Tony blinked. He looked over at Peter, "Do you have an inspirational and comforting quote that absolutely melts my heart and brings tears to my eyes, kid?"

"No, I wasn't there when they rehearsed this," Peter whispered back. 

"Oh, I thought everyone was doing it," Tony winced. "Did you guys all get together and practice in front of a mirror or something-" He and Peter slipped out the door laughing as his friends broke into shouts of curses.

Tony and Peter pushed open the door to the lab and Peter made a face, "I don't know why we're getting a charger here, I'm pretty sure there were a couple in the next room over."

Tony didn't answer and Peter crossed the room to the electronics section, shuffling through the big bin of connectors and charges they kept. "Plus, we could have used one of the ones plugged in to the spare laptops since we aren't using those."

But Tony would have known that, Peter realizes, looking up. He bet Tony did know that...so then why- Peter's spider senses tingled and he turned just as he heard a loud crash. Peter raced to Tony's side, crouching and grabbing his shoulders. He had fallen near the corner, toppling the table he probably tried to grab as he went down.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, just slipped," Tony mumbled, reaching out to fist Peter's shirt. 

"Yeah, if slipped meant your legs just grew legs and- that doesn't work, does it?" Peter winced as he eased him against the cabinet, his expression alert and protective.

"No, it doesn't," Tony wheezed with an attempt at a smile.

Peter looked him over, still grasping his shoulders, "You ok?"

Silence. Then the one answer Peter had never expected. "No."

Peter recoiled, snapping his gaze back to face Tony. Peter had been waiting for him to say no his entire life, to finally be honest, but the minute he said it, Peter realized he wasn't ready for it. The hand gripping his jacket wasn't to help him up, it was support, it was physical contact needed to keep Tony grounded, and then Peter understood.

"You having a panic attack?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Again Peter was a taken back before he cursed, "Why do you keep telling the truth, you're freaking me out!"

Tony looked up with a weak smile, his eyes unfocused. "I'll be good, just give me a minute. You can go get the charger."

Peter didn't want to tell him that his hand was still fisted in his jacket, nor that he didn't want to go anyway, so he said, "We never needed a charger, Tony."

A light scoff is let out and Tony manages to gasp out, "Oh, yeah, that's right." 

"Breathe," Peter instructed. 

"Easier said then done, kid," Tony winced and his other hand went to grip his chest. He lowered his head, eyes squeezed shut, and Peter put a hand on his back, helplessly watching.

"You're okay. I've got you," Peter said firmly. 

Tony shot him a look through strained breathing and a cracking voice, "I'm not dying, Pete. Well...hey that's kind of funny-"

"Shut up," Peter directed. 

"Ok," Tony agreed, leaning his head back and gasping to take in a deep breath, his fingers tightening around Peter's jacket, his other hand clutching his rapidly rising and falling chest. After a minute or two, he finally relaxed and Peter watched him carefully, monitoring his still unfocused gaze and his hands that were still shaking.

"Tony, you good?" he asked nervously. 

Tony shrugged, "I'm 16 years old, having a panic attack on the floor of a lab because I'm about to attempt a fatal experiment on purpose. I think I'm the least thing from okay, but if you mean about my breathing...yeah. I'm better."

"Good," Peter said firmly and as he shifted his position, Tony's head snapped up, his eyes full of worry, and his hand tightened on Peter's jacket. 

"I'm not going anywhere," Peter assured him, taking a seat next to him, and Tony's hand uncurled and dropped before he brought it up to run over his face.

"You ok?" Peter said, before he grinned. "I already asked that."

"It's fine," Tony said weakly, slumping against the counter. 

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Peter asked. "This isn't really a request."

Tony looked over at him and then lowered his head with a weak smile. "I've got 25 minutes, kid."

Peter looked up in shock. He checked his watch and then took it off, sending it skidding across the floor without another thought. Then he violently shook his head, "You're gonna be fine, Tony. We're gonna save you. It's all gonna work out-"

"Yeah, Pete, but if it doesn't-" Tony started. 

"No. Stop. You're gonna be fine," Peter swore angrily, pointing at him in frustration. "Don't talk like that-"

"Kid, I have to!" Tony exclaimed. "Look, I'm as hopeful about this as you are! I don't want this to happen, believe me, I don't. But there's a chance that something will go wrong and I'm not about to check out on you like this. Just bear with me, ok? Ten minutes."

Peter was fuming, but he crossed his arms and moved backward till he hit the opposite counter, "Ten minutes."

"You need to tell Pepper," Tony said slowly. "You and Rhodes need to tell Pepper if this goes sideways. I'm not about to put this on her, I tried her phone earlier, she's at a conference and won't be back until early tomorrow- well I guess today. She'll be back early today. You know I called her when I was in the wormhole and she didn't answer that time either," Tony laughed lightly. "She needs to learn how to answer her phone when I'm almost dying."

"How about you stop almost dying then?" Peter sneered. "Problem solved."

"Hey, be nice. I don't have much time left," Tony coughed loudly, totally milking it. He made a face and clasped a hand to his heart, "You can't tease me in my last moments."

"I can tease you all the heck I want," Peter said firmly. "What's next?"

"What, do I have to give you bullet points?" Tony demanded. 

Peter looked away and scoffed, "Look, excuse me for not wanting to talk about this."

Tony nodded slowly, "Ok. Ok."

"No, it's not ok," Peter snapped. "You expect me to sit here, while you read out your will and tell me to look after DUM-E, and tell Pepper about what happened, and take over your legacy- Tony- I can't do this!"

"You're the only one who can do this," Tony corrected. "Kid, you're the only one I trust for this."

"What, so I'm gonna be the next Tony Stark?" Peter demanded. "Is that it?"

"It's all left to you," Tony admitted. "It has been for a while. Stark Industries. Iron Man. The suits."

"Tony, just stop," Peter put his hands to his head. "It's gonna be fine."

Tony tried to cut in, "Pete-"

"You're gonna be fine. You're not gonna die-" Peter rambled.

"I don't want to!" Tony yelled. Peter's head snapped up and he stared at him. Tony took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "I don't want to die, kid. I don't. I don't want to die."

Peter stayed silent and Tony rubbed the back of his neck and spoke quietly, "Look, this whole thing...has been crazy. But I want you to know I never wanted to check out."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," Tony snapped with no anger, just firmness. "I know what I said, kid. Truth is, I was scared from day one. And then when I found out that I could...leave unannounced a couple days ago, I just told myself I had to accept that fact and move on. I was just so tired. I'm tired of having the target on my back, Peter. But when I saw what it was doing to you...the way you looked at me when you thought I didn't care about dying, about leaving you..." Tony shook his head, "Well I guess you're more important than my external confidence. You saw right through me, kid. You saw what I had been trying to hide the whole time."

"I don't want to die, Peter," Tony said quietly. "But if it doesn't go as planned...if it flops and we don't get to have another talk, I just want to tell you I'm sorry."

"Don't do this," Peter shook his head. "If it's your last day on Earth, don't turn it all sappy."

"Well maybe I am softie on the inside. Truth is, I loved the Notebook," Tony admitted. 

"You're absolutely ridiculous," Peter laughed, blinking harshly. 

"You crying yet?" Tony grinned. 

Peter glared at him, "Shut up. There's dust."

"This has been harder on you than it has been on me, kid, I know that. And you do too," Tony said, kicking him lightly. 

Peter scoffed, "Tony, you're 16. I think you pulled the short straw."

Tony made a face, "Yeah, well, I'm thinking maybe I didn't. And I know you know what I mean. Plus, you took charge these past couple days...you called the shots. The apprentice became the master."

Peter looked down with a grin at the Star Wars referenced before he raised an eyebrow, "Still think I'm your sidekick?"

"Oh 100%," Tony nodded. "But you show promise. You'll be an Avenger in no time." Peter's smile made everything worth it in that moment. Tony smirked, "But you put up with a lot kid. Now, I will never admit that I'm annoying and super hard to deal with, those words will never come out of my mouth, but...I know that sometimes it wasn't easy over these past couple of days, and I'm sorry."

Peter gave him a weak smile, "Thanks Tony. Hey, just next time when you turn yourself into a teenager-"

"There will be no next time," Tony immediately yelped and Peter laughed genuinely. "Hey, kid?"

Peter sighed, "Yeah."

"There's something I've always wanted to ask you," he said slowly.

Peter's eyes widened and he started stuttering, "If it's about when I pay-for-viewed a video in my room in Germany, I can explain that one," Peter blurted. "I'm pretty sure Happy knew, and yeah they were adult-"

"That was not what I was talking about," Tony said, starting to smile. "I didn't even know that happened."

"Oh. Well crap," Peter cursed.

"If I don't die," Tony snickered. "We are so talking about that."

"Great, can't wait," Peter groaned with a laugh. "I shouldn't have said anything. Wait...then," he cocked his head. "What's your question? I'm not gonna guess anymore so I don't accidentally reveal anything I've done and kept a secret from you."

"That's reassuring," Tony snorted before he sobered his tone and looked up. "Why do you only let me call you Pete?"

Peter blinked and looked down, "Oh. It's mostly to annoy everyone else-"

"Peter," Tony smiles knowingly. 

Peter sighed and scratched his head, "I've had other people call me it, just as a nickname or to get under my skin and I hate it. There's only three people who can say it. My dad was the first one. Then Ben. And...and you." 

"This has nothing to do with that talk we said we were gonna have when this all fixed itself, right?" Tony asked, looking up at the kid. 

"Maybe," Peter admitted. "You'll have to survive to have that talk though."

"Yeah," Tony laughed. "I guess I do."

"Tony, I...if this," Peter rubbed a hand over his face. "I just want you to know that I..."

"I know kid," Tony nodded. 

Peter looked up, "You know?"

"Yeah. We're telepathic, remember?" Tony winked, before shrugging with confidence. "And who are we kidding? Everything's gonna be fine, right? It's all gonna work out and we'll be laughing about this in no time."

"Yeah," Peter nodded firmly. "You're right."

Tony got to his feet and held out his hand. Peter reached up and clasped it, allowing Tony to help him to his feet as they steadied each other.

"It's gonna be fine," Peter said again, mostly to assure himself.

"Of course it is," Tony responded with a weak smile. He glanced to the side before muttering, "Come here." Tony put a hand on Peter's shoulder and pulled him forward into a hug. The kid returns it, clasping his arm and tightening his grip as he fists Tony's shirt. Tony blinks harshly, a million thoughts racing through his head.

Peter rests his chin on Tony's shoulder and croaks, "Don't die, ok?"

Tony grins and rests a hand on Peter's curls, "I don't plan on it, kiddo."

They break apart, looking around to see if anyone noticed the display of affection. Tony's hand doesn't leave it's spot on Peter's shoulder. He ruffles the kid's hair with his other hand and Peter smacks him off with a smile of annoyance, smoothing down his curls.

"Let's do this. Back to the Future," Tony rubs his hands together and Peter rolls his eyes, heading for the steps that go to the door. "Wait! One thing," Tony races over and connects the speakers of the entire compound, clicking the play button on the computer. 

'Knocking on Heaven's Door' blasts throughout the entire compound and Peter groans. "Really? Guns and Roses?"

"So you know this one, but you don't know AC/DC?" Tony demands. "Come on, kid, you gotta admit, it's funny," he grinned. "Ma, take these guns away from me...I can't shoot them any more."

"There's a long black cloud following me. Feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door," Peter mumbles quietly. 

Tony grins and they walk out of the lab and down the hall, the chorus blasting through the speakers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ight! The amount of love I have for Tony and Peter is concerning. Theyre the best *tear* OK PEEPSSSSS- We are heading into the final 2 chapters :) I hope you liked this one, I loved writing it. We got a hug, we got a talk, we got some family Avengers moments, now it's time to strap in for the final ride. Stay tuned and stay healthy everyone! Please let me know what you thought, I really hope you're liking this story and i appreciate all your support! <3  
> Let's hope this quarantine ends soon I am sooooo ready for summer lol  
> I love you all 3000 <3


	11. Back To The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooooo lovely readersssss this is where it all goes down!!! :) I really hope you like it, I had a lot of fun writing this one and theres some cool twists and turns that hopefully keep you on the edge of your seat  
> Thank you guys for reading and for all of your comments and kudos they mean a lotttttt <3 and I am so happy you guys are enjoying the story! I am having a BLAST writing this one. haha im like clint. oh you wont get that joke until you read. i'll shut up now. read on!!!!

**Present**

"TONY!" Peter shouted, leaving his position at the panel and staggering in the center of the lab. He whirled in a circle. "TONY! No, no, no-" The spot where Tony had just been standing a second ago, the spot where he was supposed to reappear was empty. "FRIDAY, where is he?" Peter yelled, racing back to the controls. "FRIDAY, tell me what the heck is going on!"

"What just happened?" Rhodey demanded, uncrossing his arms as his hands curled into fists. Alarms went off all around the lab, making Peter's ears ring. He forced himself to focus. Focus, Peter, come on. 

Clint shook his head, "It was supposed to do that! It was supposed to fix him! He was supposed to disappear and then COME BACK!"

"Yeah, no crap, Clint!" Nat snapped, moving forward in a panic, standing by Peter's side. 

"Where is he?" Steve said angrily as he moved to where Tony had been standing and took on Peter's job of searching for his lost friend. "Peter, where is he?"

Peter looked over the panel, pushing some buttons and skimming the screens. He shook his head in panic, "I- I don't know- FRIDAY, talk to me!"

_"Energy is off the charts. I can't get a lock on his location...the link is faint but it's still here. Data is all over the place and I can't straighten the algorithm. I have no idea what's going on, Peter!"_

"I'm shutting it down," Rhodey said as he moved forward to the emergency button.

Peter webbed his hand to the nearest table before could hit the red button, screaming, "NO! If we turn it off now, we lose him!" 

"We're gonna lose him anyway if we don't figure this out!" Rhodey shouted back, ripping through the webs with his pocket knife and starting forward again. "I'm pulling him out, right now."

Peter lunged and grabbed his wrist, snarling, "Don't touch that button, Rhodes. I will throw you into the next room, do you understand me?"

Rhodey's glare fell at Peter's intensity and he sighed before nodding, "Easy Pete. Ok."

Peter breathed easier and pressed both hands to his temple, returning to the panel, "It's like a rubber band. The link is weak, like stretching it slowly. Turning off would be like yanking the sides as hard as you could-"

"Which would make it snap," Rhodey nodded, rubbing Peter's shoulder behind him. "Ok, ok Peter. Then what do we do?"

"Sorry," Peter mumbled a quick apology for his outburst as he turned back to the panel and grabbed the nearest screen, his eyes shooting across in worry. "I- I don't know! I don't know! Tony would know-"

"Well Tony isn't here now, kid," Rhodey said firmly. "We've got you and your brain."

"Smarts don't help right now! We have no idea what we're dealing with or where he went or if he's even alive-" Peter gasped, starting to breathe faster, turning in a circle as his senses went on overload, the ringing too loud, his heart pounding inside his chest, his vision blurring. "I can't-" he whispered.

"Peter, PETER!" Rhodey grabbed his shoulders. "Tony is alive in there and he needs you to get him out. You've followed him around for months kid, you guys are practically the same person. What would he do?" he asked calmly. 

Peter nodded, his eyes darting back and forth, "Ok, ok, I just- I need to think- what would Tony do- he would- he would..." Peter looked up and blinked. "He would cut the wire."

"What?" Rhodey asked. "I was looking for more like a plan-"

"This is a plan," Peter snapped, shoving him off and turning to the panel. 

"I think it was a comeback to an insult I said to him like six years ago," Steve said slowly. 

Peter shook his head, "We can't turn off the machine. That's what Tony tried to do. When this whole mess started, he tried to turn off the machine which created a loop of quantum energy that just got more powerful and more powerful and eventually blew up on him which created the rip."

"Ok, so if we can't turn it off, what can we do?" Rhodey asked.

Peter blinked, spluttering quickly as his hands flew across the panel, "Ok, ok, ok. When we built this machine we built two power loops. One feeds the energy back into the quantum realm because there needs to be balance, like a giant circle of energy flow. The other one is what we toy with. It blew up because when Tony turned off the power, he closed both loops, meaning the quantum energy was stuck in our world alone and fed on itself. So I say we do the opposite."

"You're suggesting to open both loops, aren't you?" Nat said slowly.

"Wasn't that the thing you and Tony said not to do?" Clint exclaimed. "He said if you remember one thing from the whole crash course to remember that! And it worked! That's the only thing I remember!"

"Rules are meant to be broken," Peter said weakly.

"You _literally_ wrote a note!" He pointed to the large sign in big red letters that Peter had scrawled out with sharpie. It was stuck to the wall by the machine and read very clearly, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO YOU OPEN BOTH LOOPS. Underneath was an asterisk that said *both loops open=we all blow up*.

Peter nodded, "Yep. I know Clint, I wrote that. But this is the only way to save Tony. He didn't want to do it because he didn't want to risk our lives. Truth is, I- I don't know what else to do. This is the only option I have, guys, it's the only plan I've got."

"If it was any of us, he would do the same, we all know that," Steve said firmly. "I'm in, kid. Go for it."

"Can you do it?" Rhodey asked firmly.

Peter hesitated, "I mean...because it's something I was told never to do, I don't have a step by step process memorized. But sometimes you gotta run before you walk."

"Tony says that," Nat whispered to Steve.

"Well that's good then. He's thinking like him," Steve hissed back.

Peter ran a hand through his hair before he scratched the back of his head, "It's crazy, I know it is. But it's the only way we'll even have a shot at snatching him out and we don't have much time."

"Ok, well, if we're gonna blow ourselves up, mine as well do it right. What can we do to help, kid? Tell us what to do," Steve said firmly.

Peter nodded, stuttering, "Ok- ok, Nat, go by the second lever on the right. It's blue."

"It's more of an ocean green," Nat commented, clasping the lever hard.

Peter shot her a look, "Pull it when I say."

"This is gonna bring him back, right?" Nat asked nervously. 

"It's our best shot at it," Peter said firmly, his fingers flying across the panel. "This is more energy than we've dealt with...like ever. For one nanosecond, everything might go to crap."

"What's the percentage?" Rhodey asked.

"18%," Peter said instantly.

"That it works or that we'll blow up?" Rhodey demanded. 

Peter winced. "Whatever makes you feel better."

"Cool."

Peter turned, "Steve, stand by the nearest screen. FRIDAY, revert all data to that one- Cap, if that number goes below 29008 even by a decimal, let me know."

"I don't know what that means, but I can read numbers," Steve nodded. "29007, got it."

Peter's head snapped up, "Its 29008, Steve!" 

Cap grinned with a slight wince, "I was just...messing with you guys. Of course...I know...the number. One more time, just so I can-"

"We've got either a joker or an old guy with amnesia that we're betting our life on...nice," Clint groaned.

"29008, got it?" Peter restated firmly.

"Yeah, but what happens if it goes under?" Steve asks nervously.

"Some really really bad crap," Peter says quickly. "Rhodes- go over to that panel to your left but don't hit the green button until I say so. That's gonna open the portal," Peter said firmly. "The code is-"

"I know the code, kid, don't worry. But are you sure this is a good idea?" Rhodey asks, moving and typing in the numbers. 

Peter rubs a hand across his forehead, "No. It's a really really bad idea," he admitted, before shrugging. "But it's what Tony would do, and you told me to think like Tony."

"Ok, ok," Rhodey nodded, his hand over the green button. "Ready."

"What if he comes out as a baby or something?" Nat demands, tightening her grip on the lever.

"He'll grow," Clint said, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Shut up, Clint!" Nat and Rhodey yelled. 

"I'm just hoping that doesn't happen," Peter pleaded nervously. 

"Wait, what do I do?" Clint shouted. 

Peter looked at him, "You're gonna pull Tony off the X. Get him as far away from the machine as you can. There's gonna be a button on the suit. Right where his arc reactor is. Push it as soon as you get a hold of him, that will break his suit's connection. And then you all need to get out of here once you do your job just in case us pulling Tony out of the loop triggers some sort of cosmic snare which almost worse than a rip of time and space because we'd still be attached so let's hope that doesn't happen." Peter gulps down a desperately needed breath after that long sentence.

Clint nods and shurgs, "That sounds bad. No complaints here."

"What about you?" Rhodey demanded to Peter. 

"Don't worry about me," Peter assured him with a snort. "I don't want to be in here any more than you do if this thing goes ballistic." Everyone looked at each other and nodded firmly. "Ready?" Peter asked, taking a deep breath. "I hope this works." His fingers flew across the board and he looked up, pulling a 3D screen over and cranking a dial and pushing up some levels as he steadied the energy flow. Peter caught Rhodey's eye. The man was smiling at him and Peter raised an urgent eyebrow, "What?" 

Rhodey smirked, shaking his head, "Nothing."

"Ok, ladies and gentlemen. Drop your socks and grab your crocks, we're about to get wet on this ride," Peter swore and clicked a button.

**Countdown: 19 Minutes Earlier**

"I hate this song," Steve groaned. "God, turn it off."

"What, this one?" Tony asked, cranking the volume up with a cocky smile. "Ma, take this badge off of me..."

Peter smiled, sitting down on a chair backwards and swiping through the screens, singing over his shoulder, "I can't use it, anymore."

"It's getting dark, too dark to see," Nat grinned, punching Steve's arm. "Come on party pooper."

"Feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door," Clint finished, tossing a stress ball up in the air as he lay on his back on one of the lab tables.

"If I'm gonna die my final wish is that you will sing this song for me. Just one line Steve," Tony said firmly.

Natasha winced, "His dying wish. Now you have to do it."

Steve glared at him and groaned, putting a hand on the bridge of his nose, "Knock knock knockin' on heaven's door."

"Oooooo oh yeah yeah," Clint shouted the exaggerated lyrics with a laugh. 

"Knock knock knockin on heaven's doooooor- woah, woah, yeaheeeyeahyeahhhh," Tony whooped the rest, giving him a high five. "I can die in peace now."

"You're gonna die in _pieces_ if you don't get the suit on," Peter called. Tony nodded and went over, Peter tossing him the GPS. He caught it with one hand and stuck his arm inside the fitted Iron Man suit which started to form around him. 

Nat looked at the two of them and then at the GPS that Tony was holding, "Did you seriously just toss that to him?" she spluttered. "What if it had broken? Isn't that the _main_ thing we rely on?"

"Yeah, which is why he better catch it," Peter said pointedly.

"I did catch it!" Tony shot back. Peter made a face and Tony raised an eyebrow. Nat could feel a job coming and she was right. As she stepped away to let them have an argument, she heard Tony shout, "Compared to the sprite bottle that you missed last week. And that was glass!"

Peter spun around, "I was rubbing my eye when you threw it and I was tired! That does NOT count!"

"You know what I did count though? Forty million pieces of glass everywhere! All over the lab!"

"You can't even count that high, you'd get bored," Peter sneered. 

"I didn't see you helping me clean it up!" Tony spluttered. 

Peter grinned, "I wasn't the one who threw it."

"How many minutes guys?" Rhodey asks, interrupting them. 

"14? I think?" Tony guessed. "I don't know."

"What, you want us to have some countdown clock?" Peter snorted. He looked over at Tony and winced, "You know that's smart. We probably should have had one."

Tony grinned cockily, "We don't need a countdown clock, we have FRIDAY."

_"16 minutes. The minute the numbers are done I will upload them to your server and we will have you ready to enter the quantum realm in 3 minutes after that."_

"Sounds good," Tony grinned. "Pete, check the diagnostics again."

"I've checked them seven times!" Peter spluttered.

Tony pointed, "Right, and this will be eight. Chop chop. Eight is my lucky number."

"Eight is not your lucky number. Eleven is," Peter crossed his arms. 

"Well unless you want to check it eleven times, I suggest you get a move on," Tony raised his eyebrows cockily. 

"If you survive this, I'm making you a Happy Mother's Day card because your nagging is insane," Peter snapped as he rolled the chair over to the screens.

"Respect your elders!" Tony shouted after him. 

"You're fourteen!" Peter shouted over his shoulder. 

Tony shook his head at Rhodey who was watching in amusement, "If I live through this, I'm whipping that kid a new one."

"Don't kid yourself, Tony," Rhodey grinned, patting him on the shoulder. Tony sneered as the rest of the suit locked around his body. He slipped on the GPS around his wrist and it molded into the suit. 

Clint yawned, stretching on the lab counter as he blinked. "Good morning sleeping beauty," Steve snorted. "Enjoy your nap?"

Clint shot him a look before turning towards Tony and laughing, "You look ridiculous. White and red suit? And I thought red and gold was bad."

"When I get back to my real age, Barton, I swear to God, I'm gonna kick your-" Tony swore.

"Hey, play nice boys," Nat warned. 

"We should play the back to the future theme," Steve shouted from across the lab.

"Get off my counter," Tony hissed to Clint who sighed and slipped off, throwing the stress ball at Tony's head. It bounced off harmlessly and Clint snickered until he got hit about ten times harder as the ball was launched back. Tony turned and saw Peter who shrugged with a look of innocence and turned back around. 

"Hey, what does this do?" Steve wondered, wandering near the edge of the lab and pointing to a massive panel with a bunch of buttons on it. 

"Looks like a DJ station," Clint nods, crossing his arms at Steve's side. "Lot of colorful buttons."

"Yeah if by DJ station you mean possibly one of the most dangerous things I own in this lab, then yeah," Tony corrects, grabbing both of their collars and hauling them a step back. He notices the annoyance and anger of being manhandled on both Steve and Clint's faces and he grins, "You can't hit me, I'm a minor."

"Ok, it's official! I want to turn him back," Clint announces to everyone.

"Glad you finally made up your mind, Clint," Tony sneers before he motions to the panel. "This could get us all killed if operated incorrectly."

"Not just killed," Peter adds, spinning a wrench on his finger. "Disintegrated. Blown up. Reduced to atoms. Something like that."

"Sounds like that party would be a blast," Clint snorted. "Get it? Cause...blast- never mind."

Peter rolls his eyes and assures him, "I'm laughing on the inside, don't worry."

"I don't need your Stark sarcasm, Peter," Clint rolls his eyes. 

"Then stop saying stupid things, it's as easy as that," Tony shrugs, wiggling his eyebrows. Then he rubbed his hands, "Ok! We've got 12 minutes! Crash course time."

"I hate that history channel. 38 seasons. 1232 episodes," Peter groaned. 

"How do you know the amount," Nat laughed.

Peter looked her dead in the eye, "Because my teacher made us watch every. single. one, Nat. That's how."

"Nerd," Tony coughs. "Anyway, I've got to tell you what the plan is, the do's in don't's. For example, do bring me back, don't let me die."

"Sounds easy enough," Rhodey grinned as he and Nat joined them at the end of the lab. 

"Yeah, you might think so," Tony snorted. "First things first, Peter is in charge."

"I was gonna complain that he's the youngest one here, but that would be you," Clint snickers, avoiding Tony's kick that's aimed at his shin.

"He knows everything about this panel so let him call the shots when I'm in there, got it?" Tony says firmly. "If something happens to him for some random reason, which it better not," he gives everyone a dangerous look, "run like hell. You all are screwed."

"Thanks for your undying faith Tones," Steve snorted. 

Tony sighed and exchanged looks with Peter, who crossed his arms and signals to Tony that he can take this one. "Ok, Steve," Peter said. "Hypothetical scenario. You need to relive a pressure build up, how do you revert the energy storage and speed up the reverberation to the central database while maintaining stabilization and a secure connector?" Steve blinked and Peter sighed, "I'll make it easier. Which button or buttons?"

Steve, Rhodey, and Nat nodded and looked at the massive panel, their gaze wandering over the buttons. Clint peered over his shoulder and whispered, pointing, "My favorite color is green."

"Green button," Steve guessed confidently. 

Peter grinned, "Congratulations, you shut off the main valve which would be a good thing except you didn't widen the energy tunnel. Now there's gonna be more entanglement with the particles, more than we were prepared for and you've successfully created a black hole of quantum energy that eventually will burst and kill us all."

"My favorite color is yellow, you should have gone with that," Rhodey mumbled. 

"Yellow button will rewire the energy circuit and and cut the link to whoever is inside, in this case Tony. Rule number two. If anyone pushes the yellow button, I will kill them," Peter said firmly. 

"What was rule number one?" Nat asked. 

"I don't remember," Peter shrugged. 

"Rule number three is the most important out of all of them, so if you remember anything from this lesson, remember this."

"What was two again?" Rhodey whispered. 

"What was three?" Steve groans. 

"I haven't said three yet!" Tony exclaims.

"Should I write it down?" Clint whispers, getting flicked by Natasha who instructs him to listen.

Tony speaks very clearly, "There are two loops to the machine. One is a direct circle into the quantum realm, a balance of energy, so we keep it closed- nothing comes in, nothing goes out. The second one is what I'll be going through. If something goes wrong, do not open both loops at once. Do you understand? Do not open- Peter maybe we should make a sign."

"On it," Peter hops off the counter and grabs a red sharpie, staring to scrawl on a scrap piece of paper.

"We get it, we won't open both loops," Nat laughs. 

"You'll want to though," Tony sighed. 

Rhodey snorted, "From what I can tell, opening both of them at the same time is really bad. Why would we want to do that?"

"Because if something goes wrong, this is a solution. There's a minimum chance that opening both of them will solve whatever problem you have," Tony admitted. "But the odds are like 50 million to one. If will seem tempting, but trust me, it's not worth it," he finished firmly. 

Peter webbed the sign up on the wall and then jumped back down. They all red it and nodded. "Both loops open=we all blow up. Nice, Peter. Although, can you make the letter bigger on the top, I don't think I can read them in _bolded caps_ ," Clint snickers. 

"Just cause you're blind, Clint," Peter rolls his eyes. 

Steve interrupted to keep them on track, "Understood. Anything else we need to know?"

Tony rubbed a hand on the bridge of his nose, "A lot. Like fifty textbooks a lot, or even what quantum entanglement means would be a good starting point, but we don't have time for that right now. We've got- look at the time!"

 _"6 minutes sir,"_ FRIDAY said. _"Numbers done in 3."_

"We could listen to American Pie?" Clint suggested. "It's six minutes long."

"It's over eight actually," Rhodey corrected. 

"Stairway to Heaven?" Steve supplied.

"Still over eight," Rhodey sighed. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody is 6 minutes," Nat suggested. 

"Bingo," Rhodey agreed. 

Tony stared at them, "Thank you guys, for implying that I have less time to live then some songs."

Clint grinned, "You are welcome, my friend."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Unbelievable." He walked over the panel to do some checks and Rhodey came over. Tony looked up, "Hey, man."

"Hey," Rhodey said lowly. "You ok?"

"Ok? I'm great. Heart's pumping. Adrenaline is racing. Knowing I'm on the clock is a pretty awesome feeling," Tony grins. 

Rhodey hits his arm, "I'm serious."

Tony runs a hand over his face as the suit recedes back and flies over to be calibrated by the nearby machine FRIDAY is inputting data to. "Yeah, I'm fine. Look, if this goes sideways, I already talked to Peter, but I think you should know-"

"Look, I'd be lying if I said there's a 100% chance of this working, we both know that. But I've got everything covered, Tones. And don't talk like that either, you're gonna be fine," Rhodey clapped him on the back. "You've gotten this far, I don't see you dying any time soon."

Tony faked a smile, "Yeah, yeah, you're right. But...if..." he trails off and looks sideways at the kid across the room who is furiously typing on the computer to check numbers. "If this doesn't work out, Peter's gonna be a mess. Take care of him, okay? Please, Rhodey."

"Yeah. Yeah, man," he said quickly in responce, looking away. Rhodey cleared his throat and subtly blinked to clear something from his eye, "Need any help?"

"Yeah, that panel over there?" Tony rubs his nose and points. "Type in 081001 for me, would you?"

"Isn't that Peter's birthday?" Rhodey asks with a smile as he types it in. 

Tony looks down with a genuine smile, "Yeah, yeah it is."

"You gotta say something to him you know," Rhodey says slowly, tossing his head over his shoulder, "To all of them, but to Peter especially, before we get this thing into motion," he eyes him cautiously. 

Tony snorts, "What? No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do, Tony. And you know it. Problem is you're just as scared as he is to say what you need to say."

Tony sighs, shoving down the inner voice that's screaming Rhodey's right and he turns to him. "What am I gonna do? Usual Suspects style? Have you all line up and say goodbye one by one? I don't think so."

**Countdown: 4 Minutes**

Tony stepped up to Natasha and she gave him a hug, rubbing his back. "You're gonna be fine," she said calmly before pulling away and smiling, "Cause if you aren't, I'll kill you myself."

Tony grinned, "Well I'm always a sucker for your love and affection." He turned to Cap and stuck out his hand. "Steve."

Cap shook it firmly, "Tony. You know...I could- I could use a few more of your insults so...make it out of this one, ok?"

Tony nodded with a smirk, "Sure thing Capsicle." They exchanged glances and both nodded. "Rhodes," Tony said with a grin as he faced his best friend. "Thanks man. I mean it. For everything."

"Don't write yourself a greeting card. We'll have a nice party when you get back to normal. I'll even get a couple drinks with you," Rhodey grinned. 

"I'm looking forward to that. Even though I'll probably be paying because you're broke," Tony shrugged. 

Rhodey screwed up his nose, "I'm not-"

"Yeah, whatever man," Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder. Rhodey smiles and they have an understanding in their gazes as his friend's hand falls to his arm. Tony turns and clasps hands with Clint as they pat each other on the back. 

"Don't cry Legolas," Tony teases. 

Clint glares, "Ok, 1% of me hopes you die now- ow- holy crap-"

"Pete," Tony snaps and Peter's head snaps over as he brings his fist back again to land another blow.

"What?" the teen exclaims. 

Tony winks at Clint who gives him a nod and a smile. Then Tony stands directly in front of Peter who is trying to look anywhere but at him. The rest of the Avengers move off to the side and try to engage in small talk. 

"You know the drill," Tony says, clearing his throat and rubbing his nose nonchalantly. He musters a light laugh, "Come on, we watched John Wick, not the Notebook."

Peter managed a weak smile and ran a hand over his face, "Yeah, I know." He looked up slowly, "Tony- just...be careful, ok?"

Tony grins, "When am I not?"

Peter's laugh is more like a sob and Tony tenses at the pain it causes him. The kid shakes his head, biting his cheek as he tries for another smile in order to hide his fear, "Yeah, that's true."

"Besides, we gotta have that talk still," Tony reminds him. 

Peter nods and shifts his weight from foot to foot before he gives Tony a quick hug, squeezing his shoulder before pushing him backward. "Just...come back, you hear me?"

"Yeah, Pete. I promise," Tony whispers, ruffling his hair. Then he claps him on the shoulder and turns around, rubbing his hands. "Alright, who's ready to time travel? Sort of?"

**Countdown: 1 minute**

"Systems ready," Peter said firmly. "Data and pressure are stable. Everything seems to be working so far. Tony, GPS calibrated?"

"Green light," Tony responds. "Morbius strip stable. Particle factoring holding on my screen."

"It's gonna feel a lot longer than what it actually is up here, Tony," Peter says, his fingers flying across the controls. "But it will only be a couple seconds here. Hopefully."

A sudden slight whirring fills the room, and Peter can feel it in his teeth. The screens glitch for a second but come back and Tony gives Peter a thumbs up. The warning lights start beeping within the lab and Peter and Tony both blow it off. 

"Uh, guys? Alarms?" Steve points. 

"Normal!" Peter says. "This is quantum energy. It's dangerous. The alarms are basically saying we shouldn't be doing this, and they're right."

"Great," Clint laughs. "That's great."

Tony grins before his head snaps back and the helmet closes over his face as the machine starts to shake just slightly, the lights on the siding blinking as pressure and energy rise. Peter's heart is beating fast, his eyes glued to the levels on his screen.

"Don't lose me in there or I'll never be able to get out and kick your butts," Tony warns to everyone.

"Tempting," Clint shouts back with a grin. Now the machine starts to really shake. A light harshens, getting brighter and brighter as it lights up the entire room. Peter grits his teeth, everyone raising a hand to shield their eyes. Then it stops. 

"FRIDAY?" Tony asks nervously. 

_"All set. 12 seconds sir. Preparing quantum seal. Opening loop in 10."_

"You come back," Peter shouted to him. 

Tony looks up and nods. "Promise."

Suddenly a massive white light blasts through the entire room, a strong wind hitting all of them, and when Peter opens his eyes, Tony disappears right in front of them, sucked into the machine. Peter goes to work, re calibrating the data and reversing the energy. 

"FRIDAY, how are we looking?" Peter says nervously, trying not to concentrate on the empty lab. 

_"Five seconds until return. All levels normal."_

Peter breaths a sigh of relief and readies his hand over the button. "Now." He slams his palm down and a bright light errupts from the center of the machine. Peter hears an alarm go off in the back of his head and he winces as he fights to keep his eyes open. Despite the light be can see the levels flashing red and he curses.

"Peter, what's going on?" someone demands.

"I don't-" Suddenly there's a massive blast that shakes the floor and the light dies. Peter grins and looks up over the panel, expecting to see Tony, but instead gets an empty floor, the machine whirring as it stays active but doesn't spit up any 47 year old man. 

"TONY!" Peter shouted, leaving his position at the panel and staggering in the center of the lab. He whirled in a circle. "TONY! No, no, no-" The spot where Tony had just been standing a second ago, the spot where he was supposed to reappear was empty. "FRIDAY, where is he?" Peter yelled, racing back to the controls. "FRIDAY, tell me what the heck is going on!"

"Tony, I told you a million times and I'm getting sick and tired of you- ANTHONY!" 

Shocked at the familiar voice, Tony looks up and sees his father standing over him in a white collared shirt with khakis, shaking his head. He hands him a wrench, "The dampers go here, underneath the-" Tony points and his father sighs in relief, "Yes. Finally. Took you long enough."

Tony takes the wrench and his father puts a hand on his shoulder, "First you mess up with the backlight after I told you how to screw the placing on. You have to listen next time, understand?"

Tony nods and screws the part into place, his fingers flying across the motorcycles side as he works. He tightens the mount clasp riser and screws in the light on the front, smearing dust off of it. When he's finally done he rubs his hands together and stares at the V8 proudly, wiping his hands on his striped shirt with a grin. 

"Dad, look! I did it-" he says but his father is already walking forward and patting the seat. 

"Anthony, get on the bike, these men want a picture," his father says firmly. 

Tony scrambles onto the seat and grabs the two handles as his father sits behind him. Tony grins as the two men take their picture, but when Tony turns around, his father's smile is gone. 

"That's awesome work, kid! I can see the headlines now! You're gonna be on the front page," one of the men says. "How old are you Anthony?"

"Six," Tony says proudly, crossing his arms. "And you can call me Tony."

"Chip off the old block, Howard," the man winks as he walks away. 

"What does that mean, dad?" Tony asks. 

"It means you're smart and you're gonna work hard in life," his dad says firmly. 

Tony contemplates that and then nods, "Oh."

His father starts to walk back inside and Tony suddenly snaps out of whatever trance he was in. He looks around, touching his clothes and muttering, "What the he- dad, wait!" Tony sprints forward but suddenly the floor crumbles beneath him and Tony drops with a yell. 

He's sucked downward by an invisible hold and he flails his arms, light rays zooming by as millions of colors crash into him. His back tingles as he's thrown through emptiness, and Tony lets out another yell, flipping and spinning out of control as he squeezes his eyes shut.

He staggers down the dark steps of a ship, exhausted, tired, in pain, dehydrated. He sees Steve sprinting towards him and clasping his arm as soon as he gets close enough. Whoever was holding him before lets go as Steve put an arm around him. His feet touch the ground and Tony shakes his head, tightening the jacket over his shoulders. 

"I couldn't stop him," he rasps, his voice broken as he limps forward with Cap's help.

Steve's expression is solemn and he lowers his head, "Neither could I."

Tony suddenly stops him, grabbing his shirt with his fist, tears coming to his eyes. He blinks and bites his cheek, trying to get out the sentence that tears at him from the inside out. "I lost the kid," he whispers. 

Steve's face falls into that of grief and despair, but understanding. "Tony-"

Tony gasps and pushes away, blinking as he points at him, "What the heck is going on, Steve? Who did I lose?" He shakes off the jacket and throws it to the ground. "Someone tell me what the heck is going-"

His head starts to pound, his heart beating out of his chest and suddenly his eyes roll up into the back of his head as he collapses. He never hits the ground. he goes through it and falls and Tony's lungs close from the G-force as he speeds up. He's gasping, closing his eyes since the world is spinning. His stomach flips and he grasps at nothing as he falls, pressure building in his ears. 

There's a massive light again and Tony feels himself being pulled, like a massive tidal wave and he's sucked forward. He flails his arms and legs, hyperventilating, until suddenly his feet hit the ground.

Tony walks forward through the woods, sticks cracking underneath him. There's a small tent ahead of him and Tony claps his hands to a famous beat, calling out, "Chow time!" He takes a seat in a tiny wooden chair just outside the entrance and grins. "Maguna? Morgan H. Stark. You want some lunch?"

A little girl with brown hair bursts through the cloth curtain and raises her palm which has a red and glowing blaster on it. Her face is covered by a gold and blue helmet and he hears her muffled voice demand, "Define lunch or be disintegrated."

Tony laughs and puts his hands up in surrender before gently leading her foreward and rubbing the metal, "Okay, You should not be wearing that, okay? That is part of a special anniversary gift I'm making for Mom." He kisses the helmet on the cheek and then takes it off, revealing her smiling face beneath a crazy mess of static hair. 

"Okay," she grins. 

He smooths her hair down, "Are you thinking about lunch? I can give you a handful of crickets on a bed of lettuce."

Morgan giggles, "No."

"That's what you want," Tony says as he reaches for the helmet and lifts it up in disbelief. "How did you find this?"

Morgan plays with her hair and lifts her chin with a knowing smile. "Garage," she says simply. 

Tony narrows his eyes, trying to keep a straight face, "Really? Were you looking for it?"

Morgan is avoiding eye contact and she says, "No," unconvincingly, before breaking into another mischievous smile and continues to mess with her hair. "I found it though."

"You like going to the garage, huh?" Tony says as he stands, picking her up with him. "So does daddy. It's fine, actually." He examines the helmet and sighs, holding it with one finger and swinging it by his side as they walk towards a log cabin. "Your mom never wears anything I buy her."

When Tony looks back down he sees a plate in his hand, water sprayed all over his shirt and the counter. He curses at the cold liquid that makes him shiver and sets the plate down, grabbing a cloth on the side and wiping down the sink. 

A photo catches his eye and he moves some glasses aside to take it out. When he sees it, he smiles, rubbing it thoughtfully to clear it of the drops of water that had splashed on the frame. He and Peter are holding a Stark Industries paper upside down, giving each other bunny ears. 

"Tony."

Tony turns and sees Pepper looking at him sadly. She smiles and shakes her head, "It wasn't your fault."

"What wasn't my fa-" Tony starts to ask. 

He blinks and suddenly sees Peter staggering forward, hand clasped over his stomach. The ground is red, orange, dusty, and Tony is clasping his side, his hand soaked with blood. It falls from where it's clasped as Peter speaks.

"I- I don't feel so good."

Tony takes a step forward, his voice shaking as he attempts to remain calm. "You're all right."

Peter stumbles faster, his eyes wide with fear, his voice cracking, "I don't know what's- I don't know what's happening. I don't-" He falls harshly into Tony's arms who catching him. Peter's arms tighten around him as he cries, "I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go, please. Please, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go..."

Tony suddenly can't hold him up anymore and they crash to the ground, Tony slipping a hand behind his head, his other arm gripping Peter's shoulder. The hands that have fisted his shirt suddenly grow limp and Peter looks at him with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Tony can't speak. His mouth won't open. He can only watch, his lungs tight, his eyes filled with tears as Peter dissolves into dust in front of him. His hand goes through the ground and Tony tumbles forward, dropping into nothing again. 

He's somersaulting in midair, the pressure in his head getting so bad he can barely see straight as colors and shapes whiz past him. His stomach flips and Tony can't breathe. But he can still scream. "TAKE ME BACK!" he yells, shutting his eyes. "TAKE ME BACK!"

Hyperventilating and gasping, he pleads, "Come on kid, come on- Peter, please-"

**Present**

"Ready?" Peter asked, taking a deep breath. "I hope this works." His fingers flew across the board and he looked up, pulling a 3D screen over and cranking a dial and pushing up some levels as he steadied the energy flow. Peter caught Rhodey's eye. The man was smiling at him and Peter raised an urgent eyebrow, "What?" 

Rhodey smirked, shaking his head, "Nothing."

"Ok, ladies and gentlemen. Drop your socks and grab your crocks, we're about to get wet on this ride," Peter swore and clicked a button.

The room lit up again and Peter winced, covering his eyes.

"Peter! We're getting dangerously close!" Steve warned.

Peter turns, cranking the dial and shouting, "Rhodey, Nat, now! Clint, get ready!"

Rhodey pushes the button and Nat pulls the lever. The machine shakes and the ground trembles, everything turning white for a second before Peter can start to see again. He sees Clint tackle someone that appears in the middle of the empty lab and Peter hopes it's Tony as he starts the shut down. 

He pulls the plug on the panel and races to the next one, immediately activating the shut down sequence. He pulls the emergency lever and then yells, "FRIDAY, shut down the secondary source!"

The room is flashing, a tug from the machine pulling papers toward it. Things that aren't heavy enough to stay put fly around the room in circles. Peter has one more button to push and it's on the other side of the room. He flings himself forward but it suddenly hit across the side by a laptop that wasn't strapped down. Peter hits the wall hard and groans, the whirring getting louder. 

Suddenly a hand pushes the button and the light dies, the ringing fading as the flying debris drops to the ground and the machine fizzes out with a spark. Peter holds his side and looks up weakly. 

Tony's hand is on the button and he takes off his helmet, breathing hard. "What...took you guys...so long..." he says breathlessly. 

Clint, groaning on the floor kicks him, "Shut up, Stark."

"I'm...I'm me, again, right?" Tony asks slowly. 

Steve takes a deep breath, standing from where he and Nat had been crouched behind his shield. "Yeah. You're you."

"Thank God," Nat sighs. 

"Welcome back, Tony," Rhodey grins. 

The suit peels off Tony's body and he breaths a sigh of relief before searching the lab, his eyes falling on Peter. He races over and dives to his side, immediately grabbing Peter's shoulders and clasping a hand to his cheek, "You ok, kid?"

Peter nods weakly and lets out a laugh as he gladly slumps in Tony's grasp, "Yeah. Hi." His next chuckle comes out more like a sob, "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

An odd expression comes over Tony's face as he ruffles Peter's hair, "I think I do have a vague clue." He shakes his head as a smile tugs at his lips, "You opened two loops at once, didn't you, Parker?"

"Guilty," Peter grinned slowly. "I cut the wire."

"Yes you did," Tony scoffed and clasped the back of Peter's neck, pulling his head against his shoulder as he hugged him. Peter fisted his shirt in his hands and took a shaky but deep breath as he held him tight. "You came back," he said into Tony's shoulder, almost in reassurance. 

"I promised, didn't I?" Tony winked before he pulled Peter to his feet and clapped him on the back.

Suddenly a sharp voice sends all their heads turning as the door opens and someone yells, "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
> how was that?!?!?!?! Hope you all are staying safe and healthy, and i hope you liked that craziness and chaos! Next chapter is the last chapter, thank you guys for sticking with me on this crazy ride. 12 chapters is like a pattern throughout my fics idk why XD Final one will hopefully be the longest one yet, with the full tilt sarcasm we love and a certain talk we've been hyping up since day 1. A lot more to come so you can rest (sort of) easy because I know some unexpected things took place just now, but still :)  
> Please let me know what you thought, I hope you all are maintaining ur sanity unlike me, and have a wonderful rest of your day!! New and final chapter out ASAP!!!!!  
> I love you all 3000 <3


	12. Part of the Journey is the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO LOVELY READERS!  
> Ok first off!!!!!! Sorry for sycing you all out if I did- I accidently pressed post again and then it was about 20 seconds of me freaking the heck out to copy and paste and then delete the chapter and jfytgyhujigtfrdfyuh  
> ANYWAY SORRY FOR THAT MISHAP! IT IS THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! The final chapter is here and it has been one HECK of a ride! After a month of this story EXACTLY (lol thats crazy) we have come to the famous final scene and I hope this ties up all loose ends and has everything youre hoping for and all of that!  
> This has been one of my fav fics to write and I say that a lot but the amount of fun I had with this one was insane as well as the amount of sarcasm i allowed myself to use. I hope you enjoy this last chapter everyone!!! Thank you so much for reading <3 <3 <3 and enjoy the longest chapter yet (i think)  
> ok ill shut up now...

Tony and Peter spin in unison, their hands dropping from each other's shoulders as they jump in shock. A second later, the rest of the team whirls around too, an equally scared expression on their face...and they have every right to be scared.

Pepper is staring with her hands on her hips, a horrified expression on her face. Tony's heart stops beating for a split second, forgetting that he isn't a preteen anymore, until he realizes she's staring at the mess of the lab. It's really...really...broken. Everything is toppled over. Papers are still falling and what's left of the machines are sparking. He gives himself a mental pat on the back for moving his robots to the other lab earlier; they would have been toast.

 _"It's not as bad as it looks,"_ FRIDAY calls helpfully.

"Hey honey!" Tony calls weakly as Pepper's stare of disbelief locks on him. He winces and flashes a smile, "I'm home."

Peter clears his throat behind him and pushes him in the back, motioning him forward. Breaking out of his trance, Tony sprints, surprising Pepper as he wraps his arms around her and kisses her on the lips. He tucks her hair behind her ear and pecks her again on the cheek with a smile.

"That is not gonna make up for...whatever happened here," she says firmly, motioning to the lab that looked like a hurricane came through. Then she smirks and kisses him again. "But it's a start. How was your conference?"

Tony frowns in confusion and asks, "Conference? What-"

"The conference that you went to with no cell service for the past couple days, Tony?" Peter immediately shouts, skidding to a stop at his side. "Hi Pepper. Great to see you. Hilarious timing."

"Hi, Peter," she says slowly.

"Tony said it was great. He had a lot of fun and he wants to tell you all-" Peter stops at Tony's look and lets out a laugh, "That was sarcasm. He hated it a lot. And doesn't want to talk about it."

Pepper hesitated with confusion, "Oh- okay?"

"I called you, but you didn't answer," Tony squeaked to fill the dead air. "And you're home early."

"You mean when you called at 1 am?" Pepper snorted, rubbing her head. "Yeah, we were supposed to get back at around 6. What time is it? Almost 2- hang on a second..." she looks around at the Avengers who are twiddling their thumbs and trying to act non conspicuous. "Why are you- all of you guys are up?"

"Yep," Nat smiled. "Wide awake."

"Well I was asleep," Clint grumbled, crossing his arms. "But then I got a text that said Tony was a teenager-" Nat took a sharp elbow to his ribs and he yelped, correcting his blunder, "Tony and the teenager, I mean. Tony and Peter, Peter, being the teen- I should have just said Tony and Peter. They had...something to show us."

"Is it what made this mess?" Pepper raised an eyebrow. "What was it?"

"A...bomb. A bomb," Steve said without thinking. He bounced on his heels and laughed nervously. "It worked?"

"You..." Pepper glared at Tony in complete...he actually didn't know what expression that was. She spoke very softly, "You blew up a bomb...inside the lab?"

"We put it in a machine," Peter mumbled.

"What's a machine gonna do?" Pepper spluttered.

Tony pointed, "It was Peter's fault."

Peter glared at him, "It was not! You were the immature one who didn't think before turning yourself into a-" Tony glared at him and Peter smiled. "Total. Jerk."

"You brat," Tony hissed.

"You two are like children," Pepper pressed a hand to her forehead, looking between the two of them.

"Oh you have nooooo idea- ow!" Peter's grin fell as Tony elbowed him. "Dude!"

"Why is everyone elbowing each other lately?" Pepper demanded suspiciously.

Crap. Peter blinked and elbowed Tony in the ribs again. Hard. The teen grinned, "It's our new handshake. See?" He elbowed Tony who winced and glared at him.

Through gritted teeth, Tony hissed, faking a smile, "Yep." He elbowed Peter back who took it with a wince and forced a grin as well. "Handshake."

It wasn't convincing. At all. They were totally screwed. But at that moment, the door suddenly opened again and in came Happy, breathing hard. "I heard screaming and a big whirring sound and- holy crap! What the hell happened in here?"

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, looking around. "I love what Tony did with the place."

"A bomb," Pepper said firmly, laughing like she was about to lose her mind. She slapped her hands against her hips and turned to Happy, "These geniuses set off a bomb. In the lab. You'd think with a combined IQ of probably over 400-"

"415 to be exact," Peter interrupted. Everyone looked at him. "What? We were bored one day and took a Buzzfeed quiz."

"Those things don't work," Clint snorted.

"No, when the results say IQ of 60, they're right Clint, you just don't want to believe it," Tony grinned.

"Hey!" Clint snapped, looking around. "Why is everyone picking on me today?"

"You just have that face," Natasha snickered and Clint swung, engaging in an all out sparring match in the middle of the lab.

"Aren't you gonna-" Peter hit Tony's shoulder.

"It's not like they can do any more damage," Pepper grumbled.

"Go on Tony," Peter urges before he smirks innocently. "You're taller now. You can take him."

"And you're not a minor anymore!" Clint grinned. "I can hit you-" he was cut off when he was tackled by Nat.

"Shut up, both of you," Tony called in annoyance.

Pepper knit her eyebrows. "You...grew?"

"Oh, yeah! Big time! Like two feet!" Peter hooted.

"The kid's being ridiculous," Tony said, stepping on Peter's foot. "He thinks he’s funny. What were you saying, Pepp?"

Pepper composed herself and looked sternly at the two of them, "With your combined IQ of...415, thank you, Peter, you'd think that you two would be smart enough to know what a bomb does, that's all I'm saying."

"Yeah...wups," Peter grinned sheepishly. "Silly us."

"You don't need to apologize, Peter. I know Tony is the more immature out of the two of you," Pepper said pointedly, giving her husband a smirk.

Peter choked at that, hiding his smile by looking down and whispering, "Again, you have no idea."

Before Tony could yell at him, Happy finally got over his shock and walked down the steps, standing beside Pepper and glancing at Peter. He blinked before he frowned, "Did your cousin have anything to do about this?"

"Yes," Peter snarled quietly.

"What?" Happy asked, not hearing him fully.

"No!" Nat yelled, her foot hooked behind Clint's leg as he tries to put her in a headlock. Clint twists but gets decked by her leg but he takes her down with him and they hit the floor hard.

Steve tears his gaze of confusion and disappointment away from his friends and says quickly, "He left."

Happy frowns, "Uh, where?"

"Back to Canada," Rhodes said, his voice an octive higher than usual.

"Oh. Ok," Happy said, shaking his head in confusion. "That was a short visit."

"Trust me, Happy," Peter sighed. "It was a lot longer than you think."

"He was a nice kid," Happy shrugged. "Had the same name as you Tony."

"Oh did he?" Tony smirked.

Pepper smiled, "Aw, Peter, you didn't tell me your cousin was coming. You should invite him again, so I can meet him."

"No!" Peter shouted, before he laughed nervously and shook his head. "He was awful. Super annoying. I really, really don't want to see him again."

Pepper nodded, "Family can be tough sometimes, but I'm sure you guys will work it out."

"We have," Peter nodded with a small smile.

Pepper rubbed his shoulder before turning to the rest of the Avengers and Tony, "Well, I'm sure you guys are in for a long night of cleaning. I just worked 24 hours straight, so I'm going to head to bed. I love you," she kissed Tony who smiled. Then she ruffled Peter's hair and looked across the room with a frown, "Cap, Rhodes. Night, guys. Nat and Clint, don't...don't kill each other."

"No promises," Nat hisses, slamming Clint into a table before they both flip over, sending it toppling to the ground with a loud crash.

"That was the last one standing!" Tony groans, his hand flopping to his side in defeat.

Pepper grins, "You have your hands full. Come on, Happy. Let's leave them to it. Peter, you should get to bed too."

"I will Pepp, thanks," Peter grins.

She leads a protesting Happy out and all six heads crane to watch the door close. The minute it does, everyone breaths a sigh of relief. Tony especially. Then he looks down and grins, running a hand through his hair and his beard before he laughs. "I'm me again!"

"You know, I don't see a difference," Peter admits.

"Shut up, I'm happy." He elbows Peter one more time before he jogs down the steps, kicking his feet together on the last one which makes Peter snicker. Tony sighs and looks at the mess of the lab, his gaze falling on Clint and Nat who have each other in a very painful hold on the far end.

"Tap out guys, come on," Tony calls and the two break off at the same time, helping each other up.

Nat punches him in the arm, "I won."

"You did not-" Clint says furiously. Then he looks around, "Ok, so...plan for the future. We should have a code word whenever someone walks in the room that doesn't know our secret,” he suggested.

“Or how about you be observant?" Nat sighed.

"That works too," he grumbled.

Rhodey nudges a pile of papers with his foot, "Do we seriously have to clean all this up?"

"No," Tony sighs. "I'll just do it all myself. Or build a robot that will do it all for me."

"Nice," Clint rubs his hands and heads for the door. "Night!"

Tony looks up and waves his hands, "Woah! I was kidding!"

Natasha pats him on the back as she walks by, "Tony, it's almost 2 in the morning. This mess will be here tomorrow, we'll clean it up then. I think we've had enough excitement for one night. And you need to get some sleep too."

"I don't sleep," he sneers. 

Peter whacks him in the back with a rolled up magazine he found on the floor, "Yes you freaking do."

Tony shoots him a look and clasps Rhodes' hand as he walks with Cap towards the steps. Rhodey smiles, "Glad to have you back, man. I guess I owe you that drink."

"I guess you do," Tony smirks, nodding to Cap who gives him a salute and walks to the steps as well. 

Tony turns to look at Peter who is shuffling papers together on the ground and he goes to Peter's work station when he's not looking, picking up the envelope he had placed down. He looks over at the kid and debates his decision for a second before ultimately deciding against it. Tony slides it into his pocket before crouching by the kid's side. "Hey, Pete, you know Pepper was right. You should get some sleep. I've got this."

Peter scoffs, "I just turned someone back from a teenager, Tony, my adrenaline is pumping pretty fast. Plus its a weekend, I don't have school. May already said I could stay here this weekend. Plus," he looks around and smirks. "You'll be complaining all night about how you were left alone to do all the work, like that children's book! About the hen that made the cookies and then everyone wanted to eat them but they didn't get any because they didn't help."

"I'm not making cookies," Tony grumbled. "I hate cookies actually. How about brownies?"

"Whatever. It could be lolly-pops for all I care," Peter sighed. 

Tony glanced up, "How do you make a lollypo- also are comparing me to a chicken?"

"Hen," Peter corrected. 

_"A hen is an adult female chicken,"_ FRIDAY supplied helpfully. 

Tony's head snapped up, "Oh you're dead."

Peter yelped and dove away as Tony crumpled up the paper at his feet and launched them. Peter threw some back before he scrambled out from behind the desk and slid for the overturned table. His side hit the leg and Peter groaned, Tony taking his opportunity while Peter was down. But as he came around, his arm raised to mercilessly pelt the kid in the face, he saw genuine pain in the teen's eyes. 

Tony dropped his armful of paper balls and knelt, "You good, Pete?"

Peter winced and nodded, "Yeah. Just- it's nothing."

"Yeah, great observation Sherlock. You're the worst liar." Tony motioned forward and Peter slowly lifted the hem of his shirt the slightest bit, revealing a black and blue bruise on his ribs. "You busted a rib?" Tony exclaimed, his hand on Peter's shoulder tightening. 

"Well getting a laptop chucked into it at God knows how many miles per hour can do that," Peter drawled sarcastically. "I'm fine, I swear. If you say med bay I might actually kill you."

"Ah, I forgot what it feels like to be on the clock," Tony grinned. "And it's not a good feeling. I've had my fill of almost dying. So...okay."

Peter looked shocked, "Okay?"

"Do you need hearing aids?" Tony asked. 

A smile broke out onto Peter's face and he chuckled, "No. No, I just...was expecting an argument."

Tony shrugged, "Look, kid," he sat down next to him, leaning against the counter.

"We're gonna have a talk, aren't we?" Peter grinned.

Tony sighed, looking over at him. "What gave me away?" Peter grinned and Tony looked at him. "Over the past couple days I've...well a lot has happened-"

Peter snorted, "You are so unbelievably cheesy, you know that?"

"Oh it's gonna get a whole lot worse, strap in," Tony laughed, ruffling his hair. "I think the moral of this incredibly weird and not entirely bad story is that I need to let you grow up more. Truth be told, protecting you, has always been my job. My responsibility. It was why I was so mad at you for going after Vulture, why I wanted you to go home after taking that hit in Germany, why I made the suit in the first place...but these past couple days you really took charge, kid. You kept the both of us in check, you kept your head level even when mine wasn't, and you didn't once give up on me. You wanted to save me, when I didn't want to save myself." 

Peter shook his head, "You don't have to thank me for that."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, yeah I do."

"You would have done the same," Peter said firmly, rubbing his nose and shrugging.

"Yeah, you're right. And your sappy self would be thanking me too," Tony joked. "I mean, plus, you held your own, kid. Heck, you even saved my bacon a couple times."

"More than a couple times," Peter clarified. 

Tony chuckled and corrected himself, "More than a couple. I guess my point is, you're not that goggle wearing, hyper on candy kid from Germany anymore, so I've got to stop treating you like one. So if you say you're good, I'll believe you. And if you go do something stupid, well I guess I'll have to trust you on it. If you've got a plan, I'll back your play."

Peter glanced at him with a small smile and nodded, "Thanks, Tony. I mean it."

"Now if it's something really stupid, I'll call you an idiot and talk you out of it," Tony added firmly. 

"Of course," Peter laughed.

"And I'm not being any less protective. If someone looks at you wrong, they're in a world of hurt, that's just how it's gonna be," he finished. 

Peter sighed, "Naturally."

Tony smiled at him and nodded, "Glad we're on the same page."

Peter snorted, "When are we not?"

"True."

Silence. Tony's thumb slid over an envelope in his back pocket, rubbing the corner of it.

Peter broke the quiet with hesitation, stuttering, "Is there...any other talk that we want to...get out of the way?"

Tony looked up and made eye contact with him before they both snorted. Tony laughed nervously, pushing the envelope back into his pocket, "I don't ha- do you have something to say?"

"No," Peter said immediately, before looking up, "I mean, unless you want to-"

"Well, I mean-"

"I think-"

"Yeah-"

"We should probably-"

"This mess isn't gonna clean itself.

"That's true."

"Good talk."

"Yep." They helped each other to their feet and Tony straightened Peter's sweatshirt before he ruffled his hair. The kid smacked him off with a smirk, "It's good to have you back, Tony."

"Good to be back, kid. Let's...never do that again, ok?" he laughed. 

"What do you mean? I don't get my chance to be an adult?" Peter said innocently. 

A look of horror came over Tony's face and he shivered, "No. Stop. That freaks me out. You're already almost an adult, let me savor these last couple years."

"I could just do it when you're in a meeting," Peter shrugged. "That would be some nice payback."

"I'll kill you before quantum physics does," Tony promises. 

Peter laughed and looked around, "You want to get started on this?"

Tony made a face, "Nah. Nat was right. Enough has happened today. I've just got to take care of one thing, I swear. Go to bed, Pete."

"No, I'll help-" Peter insisted. 

Tony put his hands on Peter's shoulders and looked him in the eye, "Kid, you've been up for about three days straight. You're exhausted, I can see it. Go, I won't stay up or pull an all nighter or do anything stupid."

Peter raised an eyebrow, rubbing a hand over his face and nodding as Tony turned him around and pushed him gently for the door. "Promise?"

"Promise," Tony said firmly. 

"Cause if I come down here and you're a baby, we're gonna have problems," Peter said sleepily. 

"Copy that," Tony said with a smile. 

Peter turned at the door, suddenly seeming 10 times more tired then he already looked. He gave Tony a groggy salute and walked down the hall. Tony picked a chair up and threw a few of the balls of paper in the trash.

"Hey FRIDAY?" 

_"Yes sir?"_

"Scientifically speaking...I got pushed through time, randomly," he said, picking up a wrench and spinning it on his finger. "Is it possible for quantum entanglement to throw me into other parts of time? Like the past or the future?"

There was a pause and then FRIDAY spoke slowly, _"Yes, I guess it's plausible. Your navigation system was just designed to get you to one spot. The path to get there was up to the energy levels which fluctuated. So, yes, it is possible you could have been shown glimpses of the future or relived moments of your past."_

Tony sank down into the chair, running a hand over his hair. Everything suddenly seemed duller, a feeling settling in his spine that he knew would never leave.

_"Sir...did you...see something?"_

Tony looked up and faked a smile, "Yeah. My dad." He tapped the wrench against his palm and shrugged casually, "When I was eight. I didn't know if I was dreaming or not. But I guess I just got a back to the future moment after all." He quickly stood and headed for the door. He set the wrench down on the counter and his hands started shaking. 

_"Sir? Is that all you saw?"_

Tony turned around and made a face, "Yeah, FRIDAY. Why?"

 _"Well you said past or future in your initial question,"_ she said slowly. 

Tony flinched, "Did I? Well I guess I was just saying it would have been cool to see the future, you know?"

_"I see."_

Tony stopped again, looking at his feet. He hesitated and then asked, "If I did, just as a hypothetical. Do you think it was a _possible_ future or the actual future?"

_"I...I don't know the answer to that. I would assume a possible future, since we are constantly changing it with our current actions."_

"Huh," Tony murmured.

There was silence for a second before she asked, _"Are you sure that's all you saw, Tony?"_

Tony snapped out of his trance and snorted, "Yeah, FRIDAY. I was just wondering. I mean, I wish I saw the future, that would be pretty cool, right?"

_"I guess so."_

"I'll see you tomorrow, FRIDAY," he gave a small smile and headed for the door, shoving his trembling hands into his pockets. 

_"Goodnight sir."_

“Sarcasm is the body’s natural defense against stupid. Haven't you heard that expression before?”

“I’ve seen it on a coffee mug.” 

“I’m pretty sure Abraham Lincoln said it.”

“Abraham Lincoln did not say that."

Peter rubbed his eye and walked down the steps into the kitchen with a small smile at the conversation he was hearing. When he came through the doorway, Clint jumped, spilling his drink. 

"Jeez kid, you want to announce your entrance next time?"

"Well the people who I had to play trumpets to signal me walking through a doorway couldn't make it, sorry," Peter smiled. 

"That's my boy," Tony said proudly, his feet kicked up on the kitchen table. Peter smirked, then catching sight of the hot coffee on the counter. He reached for a mug and made it way over, grasping the handle when Tony snapped, "Hey. No coffee. Adults only."

Peter groaned and settled on orange juice instead, shooting Tony a glare as he took a seat next to him. "Yeah, well you just passed that criteria yourself."

"When are the rest of the gang getting back?" Nat asked, running a hand through her messy red curls. 

"Sometime tomorrow, so get all of your teenager Tony jokes out now," Rhodey smirked. "Hey, that's not a bad name. Teenager Tony jokes- teasers! Teenager Tony Teasers." He looked around, snickering. No one laughed and Rhodey sighed, "Tough crowd."

"You done?" Tony asked before he leaned forward, "No one is hearing about this, understand? It's strictly confidential."

"Oh yeah, strictly," Steve nodded, sipping his coffee with a smile. 

"You got something to say, Rogers?" Tony glared. 

"Definitely not, I don't know what you're talking about," Steve grinned. 

"Peter, you staying here today?" Rhodey asked, changing the subject before a civil war could break out. 

Peter grinned, kicking his feet up on the table in similar fashion to Tony. He spoke proudly, "I'm giving myself a day off."

"Well you deserve it. We couldn't have done it without you," Nat rubbed his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, did you hear, he threatened to throw me through a wall," Rhodey pointed. 

Tony turned to look at Peter in surprise, "Mind telling me why?"

Peter shrugged and took a sip of his OJ, "He was gonna turn off the machine and try and bring you back."

"Good reason," Tony said firmly before he whirled on Rhodes, "What the heck, man? That would have cut the link!"

"Yeah, I know that, now," Rhodey sighed with a shake of his head. 

"I think we all are a little lost in terms of what happened and why," Clint said, looking around. "I for one don't get any of it except that Tony screwed up and turned himself into a preteen like an idiot and now he's not."

"Hey," Peter and Tony said defensively in unison. 

"You've called him worse!" Clint spluttered to Peter. 

"Yeah, it's fine when I say it," Peter said innocently, finishing off his OJ. 

"If you guys want to understand, it's called quantum entanglement. I changed it to a morbius strip which allowed for more energy flow, and factored in a particle which allowed us to access the realm. When I turned off the machine I trapped some of the energy in our world, which isn't supposed to happen, so feeding off itself, it created a rip in space and time and sucked me in with it when it tried to recorrect. I was spit back out because of a million to one chance, but my messing with the timeline triggered the EPR paradox which means the speed and velocity of time was distributed in such a way that instead of traveling through a certain timeline, I made myself a timeline and went backwards. With the GPS we created, and the nanoparticle suit, I was able to re-enter and navigate my way back to my current timeline without exploding from the quantum energy that was left in me when I emerged the first time. The first time I closed both loops, this time we opened both. Both were risky, both shouldn't have worked, but they did, which is why I'm sitting here."

"Oh ok," Steve grins. "Makes total sense. Now I get it."

Peter snickered, "Was that sarcasm, Cap?"

"Of course not," Steve smirked. 

“When can you get me my 5 minutes back?” Nat joked, finishing off her coffee and setting it on the table.

"You lost me at 'if you guys want to understand'," Clint shrugged. "I kind of tuned you out. Your mouth was moving but I couldn't really hear what you were saying."

"Oh, so like every time I talk," Tony shrugged. 

"Yeah," Clint agreed. 

Pepper walls in, smiling cheerfully, "Good morning everyone."

"Hey Pepp," Tony grins as she walks over and kisses him on the cheek. 

"So you guys had an eventful night last night I take it?" Pepper laughed lightly, taking a seat next to him around the table. 

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Tony nodded. 

Pepper blinked at then looked at Peter, smiling happily, "Hey, kid. You spending the day with us?"

"Heck yeah. Day off," Peter agreed and grinned, crossing his arms. 

Pepper looked at Tony who also had his feet up and arms crossed and she turns to Clint, "There's two of them."

"Oh you should have seen them yesterday, you couldn't tell them apart," Clint snickered, before he winced as Natasha brought her heel down on his toe.

"We should watch a movie," Rhodey suggested. "Crazy night, we all deserve time to relax, and we haven't had a movie night in a long time."

Peter shrugged, "I'm down. Who wants popcorn?"

Natasha screwed up her nose, "It's 10 in the morning."

"Perfect time for popcorn," Tony nodded, getting up with Peter and going over to the pantry. 

"Hey, Tony, you have a preference?" Clint called. 

Tony absentmindedly called back, "Excellent question, what was it again?"

"I'll pick," Clint grinned and he walked off down the hall. 

Peter snickered, "Tony, you're gonna regret that."

"Regret what?" Tony said, holding out two different boxes of popcorn. "Buttered or traditional?"

Tony has his arm around Pepper as they walk down the hall and he turns to Peter, "Hey where did Nat and Clint go? Peter, I thought you went to go find them?"

Peter shot him a look, "Oh, I sent them on a treasure hunt- they're picking out a movie."

"Who allowed them to pick the movie?" Tony groaned. 

"You did," Peter snickered.

Just then Nat and Clint come sprinting down the hall to catch up to him and Clint slips on the wet floor, ignoring the yellow caution sign. He grabs the wall, "Holy crap."

Peter pats his shoulder as they walk by, "Don't worry dude, I thought it meant jazz hands too."

"Oh, shut up Pete," Clint grumbles. 

"What movie did you pick?" Tony asks suspiciously. 

"A good one," Nat winked. "I think you'll be able to relate."

Tony looks at Peter who raises his hands in surrender, "This is all on you, don't look at me."

A couple minutes later they all sit down and Clint's snickering up a storm across the room. Tony throws a pillow at him, "Are you gonna do that the whole movie? What even is this anyway- oh God."

Everyone is hooting with laughter except Pepper and Tony, Pepper due to confusion, Tony due to anger. The opening for 17 Again started playing. Peter covers his smile with his hand, trying to compose himself. 

"Not you too!" Tony gasps. 

"I'm sorry," Peter wheezes. 

Rhodey, Steve, Clint, and Nat are all dying, hunched over with tears streaming down their faces and Tony sighs, "You have got to be kidding me."

"I don't get it, why- why is this funny?" Pepper laughs. 

Tony puts his arm around her, "Because they're idiots. That's why. Don't worry about it. Can we watch something else please?"

"No, I like this movie!" Pepper says, hitting him lightly in the arm. 

"We like it too!" Rhodey says, trying to sound serious. 

Peter's got his face in a pillow so Tony doesn't see him laughing but the kid's shoulders are shaking. That's when Tony starts to smile and he rolls his eyes and turns it up, whacking the teen with a pillow. 

There's laughing throughout the whole part, mostly from Steve, Rhodey, Nat and Clint, but Peter breaks when Zac Efron's character realizes he's a teenager and he and his unknowing roomate start sword fighting. They race around the house and Peter starts laughing, falling off the couch and onto the floor. 

Pepper's grinning, "I didn't know he found this movie so funny."

"Is that accurate?" Nat hoots. 

"Scary accurate," Peter wheezes, doubling over as Tony starts pounding him with a pillow. "We- should have- fought with- red and blue- lightsabers- Tony," he giggles. 

"Absolutely not," Tony says as Peter rolls away, slumping against Nat's chair who pats him on the shoulder as they both take shuddery breaths to calm down. 

Pepper is staring in confusion, an unknowing smile on her face from the contagious laughter. "I don't understand what joke you all are apart of that I'm not, but I wish I had been there."

"No," Tony says quickly, giving her a peck on the cheek as he shakes his head. "No you don't." 

**Wednesday**

Tony presses gently on the brake as he pulls up to the gate. He puts down the window and he waves, "Hey Gerald." 

"Tony! Welcome back! How was your conference?" he asks.

"Hell. Literal hell," Tony grins. "Thanks for asking."

"Oh wow, ok. I'll keep that in mind," he laughs before looking past the driver's seat at the teenager. "Peter, did your cousin leave?"

"Yeah, a couple days ago," Peter grins. 

"Do you miss him?"

"Kind of. He had his perks I guess," Peter shurgs, getting elbowed in the ribs. "Ow."

Gerald laughs, "Well at least now I don't have to keep seeing double. You guys look a lot a like."

"We do not- they- they did not," Tony disagrees. 

Gerald winks at Peter before nodding, "Ok, Tony, whatever you say. Where you guys headed?"

Tony wiggles his eyebrows, "My kid's got a date."

"It's not a date," Peter groans, putting his head in his hands. 

"Look he's embarrassed," Tony grins, ruffling his hair. "We'll see you later Gerald."

Gerald waves and the gate opens. Peter looks up when they're around the bend and shakes his head, "Do you practice being that annoying or does it just come naturally?"

"All natural kid," Tony grins. 

"It's not a date, you know. We're just going to a museum," Peter says firmly.

"Yeah, ok," Tony smiles and Peter scoffs before searching his pockets. He frowns and pats them again, inspecting the area around his feet as he twists in the seat. He leans in the back and grabs his baseball cap, flipping it over to look inside it. 

"Hoping to pull out a bunny?" Tony jokes. 

"Very funny," Peter shoots back. 

"Ba dum ch," Tony laughs happily. 

"Congratulations, you broke the drum. Where is my phone?" Peter exclaims, looking around. 

"You lost it?” Tony asked, hiding a smile.

“No…” Peter said quickly, looking around, “I...temporarily...misplaced it.”

“You lost it,” Tony rewords.

Peter nodded slowly, “I might have l- yeah...I lost it.”

"Well I found it," Tony said, pulling it out of his pocket. "You left it on the counter. I snagged it before we left."

Peter snatched his phone back from Tony and raised an eyebrow, “I consider that an invasion of my privacy. That’s not nice.”

"Too bad kiddo," Tony grinned. "You're welcome, by the way. You would have forgotten it."

"Uh, I'm not saying thank you for stealing my phone," Peter huffed.

“I borrowed it without you knowing after you forgot it," Tony corrected, “There’s a difference. And calm down, it's not like I know your password."

Peter snickers, "But I know yours."

"What? No you don't- hey! You're serious," Tony realizes, looking over at him. "Since when- you know my password?" he demands. 

Peter rubbed his chin, avoiding eye contact, “I may know your password.”

Tony sighed, grinning slightly before joking, “How many passwords do you know?” 

“Pretty much all of them-” Peter started to say, before realizing that Tony had been kidding. His face went slack, “Just your phone.”

"Liar," Tony shakes his head. 

Peter snorts, "Great observation Sherlock."

They pull onto the main road and get stuck behind someone going 15 miles below the speed limit. Tony sighs and honks the horn slightly, “It’s the other pedal, idiot. The right one- there we go. Thank you!” He settles back into his seat as they drive down the road, “Sheesh. Drive much?”

"Ok, road rage," Peter snickers. "I should have just swung."

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll make it right before the museum closes," Tony laughs. 

"I'm faster than a car you know," Peter raises an eyebrow. 

Tony looks over and instinctively presses the child's lock. Then he grins, "How the tables have turned."

"Oh laugh it up," Peter makes a face. 

Then Tony notices the kid's knee shaking, his hands moving in his lap, like he was fixings something, a nervous tik Tony recognized as his own, something else the kid had gotten from him. He nudges his shoulder when they get to a stoplight. "You good?"

“I’m nervous," Peter admits, turning towards him. "There’s butterflies in my stomach. I don't know why.”

“Either you’ve been eating baby caterpillars, which you should really get checked out, or it’s an important night with a girl you have a crush on. I'm gonna go with option two unless you have some weird spider habit that I don't know about," Tony jokes. "Just relax. It's gonna be fine. You're gonna have fun."

"Yeah," Peter nodded firmly. "It's not that big of a deal anyway, right? I'm overthinking."

"Right," Tony agrees. 

"Flash may be there," Peter groans. "That's the other thing I'm worried about. I can handle him, but he hates me. I just don't want him to ruin anything."

“If karma doesn’t slap that kid in the face, I swear to God I will,” Tony muttered.

Peter laughed. "Unfortunately, you can't hit a him anymore, because you're no longer a minor."

"The one downside. I forgot how fun it was to beat up bullies," Tony sighed. He looked over and nodded, "Don't worry about him. Just have a fun time with MJ. Compliment her, talk science with her, wow her with your supreme intelligence, and just be yourself. Got it?"

Peter nods, "Got it. Thanks, Tony. And you'll pick me up after?"

"Yeah. The tour ends at 11:30, right?" Tony asks, checking his watch, his hand resting on the wheel. Peter nods. "Yeah, I'll swing by if I feel like it. Might keep you waiting an hour."

"Hilarious," Peter says. 

"You're spending the night right, cause May's got her late shift?" Peter nodded again, adjusting his shirt and Tony's gaze snapped over, "Hey, hey, stop. And don't button it, you'll look like an idiot."

"The collar is itchy," Peter complains. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Tony says with no sympathy. They stop at a red light and Tony reaches over, smacking Peter's hands away and refolding the collar. "You look fine kid. Just leave it be."

Peter sighs and slumps in his seat, reaching forward to turn on the radio.

_"Mama, take this badge off of me...I can't use it anymore..."_

Peter groans, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Tony grins and turns it up until it's blasting through the speakers, shouting along to the chorus. They pull up the museum about 15 minutes later and Peter's got a smile on his face as he looks over at Tony. 

"Go get em kid," Tony winks. 

"Thanks," Peter smiles, opening the door. 

"Hey," Tony calls after him and Peter leans through the window. 

"Yeah?"

Tony hesitates and then smirks, reaching forward and ruffling his hair, "Nothing. I forgot. Have fun."

"FRIDAY, where's Tony?" Peter said happily, skidding to a stop in the lab. It was almost midnight but he had so much energy he wasn’t about to go to bed, so he and Tony were gonna work in the lab.

He was in a great mood. His date with MJ went fantastic, they were officially 'a thing' Tony said, whatever that meant. The drive home was great, they blasted AC/DC and Led Zeplin and then Peter raced upstairs to change into more comfy clothes. He finished yanking on a Stark Indurstries hoodie over his oversized science joke tshirt and looked around at the empty lab where Tony had been before he went upstairs.

Peter freezes, looking around, "He's not...in the closet as a preteen again, right? Because I actually might kill him."

 _"Roof,"_ FRIDAY responded. _"I'm glad you had a good time, Peter."_

"Thanks," Peter grinned, before racing for the steps and taking them four at a time, flipping onto the last landing. He opened the door and closed it behind him, crossing the roof to sit down next to Tony on the far end by the generators. 

"Hey," he greets. 

Tony's turning an envelope in his hands and he smiles, "Hey kid."

Peter leans back against one of the generators and points, "What's that?" Tony smiles and turns it around and Peter sees his own name scrawled on the front. He looks up, "Is that for me?"

"No, it's for my other kid named Peter," Tony drawls.

Peter laughs, now curious and he splutters, "Well are you gonna explain what it is?"

Tony sighs, "No, I'm gonna leave you wondering. God, you have no patience."

"Sue me," Peter shoots back. "What does it say?"

"It's a letter, Peter, you're supposed to read it," Tony smirks. 

"Well you didn't give it to me yet! Also why did you write me a letter. You could literally just talk to me," Peter rolls his eyes. 

"This was the 'if things go sideways' letter, kid," Tony said quietly. 

Peter's smile immediately fell and his tone sobered, "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Can I read it?" Peter asked quietly.

Tony held it out and Peter took it slowly, opening it up with hands that were slightly shaking. He slid out the paper and unfolded it before setting the envelope aside. About a minute goes by, and Peter blinks, a smile growing on his face at some parts, falling at others. He subtly rubs his nose with the back of his hand. Tony watches and when he's finally done he sets it down and takes a deep breath. 

When he looks up, Tony sees he's eyes are red with tears and Peter manages a smile, "You suck. That's what you were gonna leave me with?"

Tony laughs but it's caught in his throat. "You want to have that talk now?" he asks. 

Peter grins, "This was good. More than good actually. And...I think we've had the talk. A couple times actually. I just don't think we knew it."

"You getting all philosophical on me, Parker?" Tony groans. "You break out the meaning of life and I'm out."

"Don't worry, I can only talk science," Peter says, subtly rubbing a fist against his eye. He brushes the letter with his finger and motions to it, "You mean all that?"

"No, kid, I was lying to make you feel better," Tony grins. 

Peter smiles, looking down. "Good to know." He folds the letter and puts it into his back pocket. "I'm keeping that for when you're mad at me."

"That's a good idea," Tony laughs before he shivers. "It's getting cold, you wanna go inside?" he suggests. 

Peter nods and Tony gets up first, offering a hand which Peter accepts. He pulls him up and steadies him, one hand on his shoulder. Peter shoves him, "If you're ever about to die again, which better not happen, don't you write another note like that, you understand?"

"Fine, I'll leave you with nothing, how about that?" Tony snorts. "What do you want then?"

"A pair of glasses," Peter grins. Tony laughs and Peter immediately protests, "What, they look cool!"

Tony sniffs, "You can't pull them off."

"I can too!" Peter gasps. 

"Whatever you say, kid," Tony chuckles, starting to walk towards the door before Peter grabs his arm and pulls him into a hug. Tony immediately returns it, clasping his shoulder hard as Peter clenches his shirt in a fist, tightening the embrace. He squeezes his eyes shut and speaks firmly as he hugs Peter harder, "You know I'm not the only stupid one out of the both of us. Don't you go dying on me anytime, you understand?"

Peter nods into Tony's shoulder, his voice muffled, "Don't plan on it." Then he says, "Tony? That last line. I- me too."

"I know." Tony cups the back of his head, ruffling his curls before they step back and exchange a glance. "You gonna change my contact to dad now?" Tony puts his arm around his shoulder and they walk to the door, opening it and heading down the steps. 

"No, it's still Tony Stank," Peter snickers. 

Tony looks at him in shock, "How do you know about that?"

"So about the machine," Peter says, changing the subject. "What do we do with it?"

Tony rubs his chin, "Destroy it, I guess. I mean, I don't want anything to do with time travel, do you?"

"God no," Peter laughs. 

"So we put an end to this project. Just erase everything. Sound good?" Tony asks. 

Peter grins, "More breaking stuff? I'm in."

"Go get the jammer from lab four so we can scramble the algorithm. I'll start erasing data."

"Save the jobs that require physically breaking stuff till I get there!" Peter points at him. 

"Sure thing," Tony grins, walking down the steps of the lab as Peter runs down the hall. He goes over to the 3D screen and his hand hovers for a second, ready to wipe the data. 

_Peter stumbles faster, his eyes wide with fear, his voice cracking, "I don't know what's- I don't know what's happening. I don't-" He falls harshly into Tony's arms who catching him. Peter's arms tighten around him as he cries, "I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go, please. Please, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go..."_

_"Tony it wasn't your fault," Pepper said sadly, staring at him with grief._

_Tony suddenly can't hold him up anymore and they crash to the ground, Tony slipping a hand behind his head, his other arm gripping Peter's shoulder. The hands that have fisted his shirt suddenly grow limp and Peter looks at him with tears in his eyes._

_"I'm sorry."_

_Peter dissolves into dust in front of him._

_"I lost the kid," Tony whispers._

Tony snaps himself out of the memory and grits his teeth, setting his jaw. His eyes narrow and he quickly opens a new folder on his secure router, praying Peter doesn't know the password. 

_"Sir?"_ FRIDAY asks slowly. 

"It's a hunch FRIDAY," he says quickly, his eyes scanning the page, fingers flying to make the download go faster. "Duplicate all of this data. Store it under this secure folder. Then start deleting the original documents."

 _"You saw something, didn't you?"_ FRIDAY asks slowly. 

Tony purses his lips, not answering. 

_"Tony!"_ FRIDAY says again.

He slams his hand down on the counter, "Yes! Ok? Yes, I saw something that I am not letting happen."

"Hey!" Peter yells from the hallway. "Do you want the central jammer or the secondary?"

"Which one do you have?" Tony yells back to stall. 

"Central!"

"Get the other one!" Tony directs, breathing hard. He hits a couple buttons and watches as the documents save and are safely stored. He breathes a sigh of relief and shakes his head, allowing his chin to duck to his chest in a second of defeat. His voice comes out small, like he was teenager again. "I am not losing him FRIDAY. I'm not losing my kid."

Peter walks in, grinning, holding up the chip. "Ready to be deleted?" he asks happily. 

Tony grins and hits a button, and all the data starts to break up. "All gone, kid."

Peter hefts a hammer and tosses one to Tony who catches it without looking. They walk over to the machine and Peter flips the tool in his hand with a grin, "Let's get to work." 

* * *

_Hey Pete,_

_Don't share this on social media, it's gonna be a real tear jerker. If you see this...well...that means I'm dead. Sorry to be blunt. Just thought you'd kill me if I said it any other way. It wasn't your fault, first off. I want you to know that. You did all you could, did more than anyone, and I'm sorry it didn't work out. Everybody wants a happy ending. Right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, if you want to grieve for a few weeks, loose a couple nights of sleep in my name, that's fine, but that's it, kid, I mean it._

_Obviously, you're the heir of Stark Industries. Prince Peter has got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And don't think you could have escaped this. When I get older and lazier I was gonna give the company to you anyway because frankly, you're one of the few people I trust. So be honored._

_Anyway, you're probably wondering what this is. Well,_ _I thought I better record a little greeting, in the case of an untimely death, on my part. My bad. Sorry doesn't cut it, I know that. I don't know what happened and it's not like death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. Then again that's the hero gig. We both knew there were risks to this. And you're always so wide eyed and hopeful, I pray to God my doubts are wrong. Hopefully there is no reason to write this letter except one, which I will get to later. You've got to have patience for once._

_You're probably getting bored with this already, so I'll cut to the few things I want to say. Thanks for believing in me, for never giving up on me, and trying your best to save me, because I'll be honest, for a second I didn't want to be saved. What a weird way to die, huh? As a 16 year old. Barely hit puberty. I might even still- I won't go there. Never mind. I'll keep this appropriate and mature. I am 47 after all._

_Anyway, I wanted to tell you something. We've been avoiding this talk for a couple years, so I want to get something straight. I call you kid because you're a teenager but it also means more than that. You're my kid. And I won't dance around this, or express it through an insult, or make a joke out of it like we usually do. Because Pete, I do think of you like a son. There, I said it. I hope you're happy. You're probably smirking right now, aren't you?_

_I'm not about to turn this into the Notebook, but I'm sorry it took me this long to say it. You are the closest thing I have to a kid and I would die for you in a second. It's been that way for a while, and I know sometimes you get pissed me- sometimes it's justified, sometimes it's you being a bratty teen- and I know we fight...like all the time, and use sarcasm as a way to mask our feelings when we get defensive and all that stuff. We butt heads a lot but I guess that's normal for a dad and son, because we're so much alike. And I couldn't be more proud of you. I mean, why wouldn't I be proud if you are a carbon copy of me?_

_Ok, what am I missing? I want to wrap this up, you're yelling at me from the other side of the lab and I'm about to go flick you in the back._ _What am I even tripping for? With you behind the wheel, everything's gonna workout exactly the way it's supposed to. But if it doesn't...just know you're an Avenger now, it's official. Take care of Pepper and the team because I'm sure they'll fall apart without me and be crying 24/7._

_And... I love you kid, ok?_

_The one and only,_

_~TS_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All doneeeeeeeeee! AHHHHHH ITS BEEN SUCH A JOURNEY WITH THIS STORY! Thank you guys for all of your support and love and kudos and comments and everything, you guys are amazing, I had a blast with this and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! :) :)  
> More fics coming very soon! Diving back into the angst muahhaha so strap in but I hope you liked this one.  
> Let me know what you thought of the final chapter and thank you so so much for reading!!!  
> Everyone stay healthy I love you all 3000 <3 <3 <3


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